Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith

by Sydney McLaughlin

Overview

What fears are standing in your way or holding you back? How do you want to become stronger? Olympic and World champion hurdler Sydney McLaughlin wants to help you answer these questions as she shares her personal story of struggles and victories, of faith and transformation.

Sydney McLaughlin knows about facing down obstacles. She has mastered not only racing over hurdles on the track but also tackling challenges in her personal life—from lifelong battles with perfectionism and anxiety to persistent questions about her identity and whether she was "enough."

Her pursuit of perfection and people-pleasing continued for years until God broke into her story with his overwhelming grace, transforming love, and empowering truth.

In Far Beyond Gold, Sydney will share aspects of her life story and personhood she has never shared publicly before, offering a more complex picture of who she is. She will inspire you to:

• Conquer your fears in Christ's strength
• Stand strong in your identity in him
• Push past your perceived limits
• Overcome the challenges you're facing

Experience the story of a woman who shifted from anxiety to boldness, from limits to freedom, and from perfectionism to purpose—and now shows the world that often what we think is impossible is possible with God.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780785297994
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	01/30/2024
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	18,661
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Sydney McLaughlin -Two-time Olympic gold medalist and world record–holding American sprinter and hurdler. In 2016, she made history at age 16 as the youngest US Olympian to compete in track and field since 1972 and set a junior world record in the 400m hurdles at the Olympic team trials.

McLaughlin cemented herself as a track superstar in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics by winning a gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles, breaking the world record with a 51.46-second time, and winning a gold medal for the 4x400-meter relay.

In 2022, McLaughlin again broke the 400-meter hurdle record and won a gold medal at the Track and Field World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. She ran a mind-blowing 50.68 seconds, becoming the first woman to ever run the race under 51 seconds, making it the fourth time in two years she’d broken the world record. McLaughlin was named one of 2022 World Athletics’ Athletes of the Year.

Prior to her professional career, McLaughlin competed at the University of Kentucky and was the Gatorade National High School Track and Field Athlete of the Year for two consecutive years. McLaughlin was born in Dunellen, New Jersey, and currently resides in Los Angeles, California, with her husband, Andre Levrone Jr.

Editorial Reviews

11/06/2023

U.S. Olympian McLaughlin debuts with a soaring testimony to the faith that helped her surmount anxiety, forge a new identity in God, and win gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (which were held in 2021 due to Covid lockdowns). After squeaking onto the 2016 Olympic track team at age 16, McLaughlin battled imposter syndrome and crippling anxiety that crested during the Rio games, leaving her without a medal and full of regret. She vowed to return to the Olympics and arrived in Tokyo fueled by a renewed faith, which had ignited by her boyfriend (and eventual husband) Andre Levrone Jr., a former NFL player she’d met in 2020. Newly aware that her “main identity ... a daughter of God,” McLaughlin ceded what she couldn’t control, maintained “confidence that His perfect will was going to happen,” and ended up clinching two gold medals (in the 400 meter hurdles and the 400 meter relay). She renders her battles with anxiety, panic attacks, and low self-esteem in candid and unadorned prose, and her uplifting message to release “other people’s expectations” and instead “find your identity in ” resonates. Readers won’t need to be athletes to find inspiration here. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

'U.S. Olympian McLaughlin debuts with a soaring testimony to the faith that helped her surmount anxiety, forge a new identity in God, and win gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. After squeaking onto the 2016 Olympic track team at age 16, McLaughlin battled imposter syndrome and crippling anxiety that crested during the Rio games, leaving her without a medal and full of regret. She vowed to return to the Olympics and arrived in Tokyo fueled by a renewed faith, which had ignited by her boyfriend (and eventual husband) Andre Levrone Jr., a former NFL player she'd met in 2020. Newly aware that her 'main identity [was]. . . a daughter of God, ' McLaughlin ceded what she couldn't control, maintained 'confidence that His perfect will was going to happen, ' and ended up clinching two gold medals. She renders her battles with anxiety, panic attacks, and low self-esteem in candid and unadorned prose, and her uplifting message to release 'other people's expectations' and instead 'find your identity in [Jesus]' resonates. Readers won't need to be athletes to find inspiration here.'—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher