While Andre Levrone had pulled the curtains on his pro football career in 2020, Mclaughlin-Levrone was just coming into her own. So common sense dictated that the couple would choose the off-season for their marriage. However, things got complicated when the 400m hurdles world record holder had to make the “Grown-up decision.” And he once she took made her coach laugh.

Sydney McLaguhlin-Levrone didn’t just earn gold in Tokyo but also “returned to Los Angeles with an engagement ring,” in 2021. Yet making wedding plans turned out to be a lot harder than she imagined. While the marriage couldn’t interfere with the 2021 track and field season, they also “wanted to tie the knot outside on the East Coast.” The couple wanted their families to attend.

However, Andre Levrone’s best friend, who played in the NFL, was also crucial because he would be Levrone’s best man. “Eventually, we decided on the first week of May,” the hurdler revealed. Yet when she called coach Bob Kersee to inform him of the wedding date, he laughed. Coach Kersee said “People will think you’re crazy,” McLaughlin-levrone wrote in Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith.

The coach had good reason for reacting the way he did. While Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone took the “grown-up decision” to consider everyone’s circumstances, she ignored her own. “If you want to get married in the middle of the season, okay. I don’t think I know any runners who have ever done that before,” the legendary coach explained to his protégé.

However, when the Olympic gold medalist reassured her commitment to making things work, Kersee agreed. “We’ll go for it,” said Bob Kersee, which was code for “I’m going to push you that much harder since we’ve got to work around the wedding.” revealed the track and field star. However, the Olympic champion was also excited to start her life with Andre Levrone

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone initially doubted Andre Levrone

While you might think the four-time Olympic gold medalist and the NFL star hit it off instantly, that wasn’t the case. Instead of experiencing love at first sight, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was on the lookout for red flags during their first date. She was particularly surprised when Levrone showed up in a sweatshirt. “You do know we’re on a date, right?” she asked the former footballer.

However, the 29-year-old revealed that he wanted the Olympian to see the “genuine version” of himself. Yet that confession didn’t put her at ease. During their date, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone tried to figure out if Andre Levrone was hiding something. “Where’s the flaw? What am I missing? Why is Mr. Perfect still single? Something must be wrong with him.” the athlete theorized.

These doubts continued to plague the champion hurdler for over a month. It wasn’t until they led to the Olympian embarrassing herself in front of Levrone did she stopped worrying. Listening to Andre Levrone talk about his faith knowledge and conviction was a turning point for the former World Champion. And a year later, she was ready to marry him mid-season, despite the difficulties.