NJ Gold Medal Olympian Featured On Cover Of 'The Knot'

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — Sydney McLaughin, the Olympic gold medalist who hails from Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains, graced the cover "The Knot Magazine" on Wednesday and spilled all the details on her recent engagement.

McLaughin is featured on the Spring Mental Health Issue of "The Knot," which hit newsstands on Wednesday. In an exclusive interview, McLaughlin spoke about her love story with NFL player Andre Levrone Jr., as well as how she prioritizes her mental health.

This past summer, McLaughin won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics for hurdling, and she is currently the world record holder for the 400-meter hurdle. She is the first woman to break 52 seconds in the 400-meter hurdle, reaching 51.46 seconds at the 2020 USA Olympic Trials.

McLaughlin started running track when she was six years old and fell in love with the sport. Her parents also both ran track, as did all of her siblings. But it wasn't until high school when McLaughlin got serious about track and when her coach realized she could take it to a professional level.

She said she used to watch the Olympics when she was a young girl, and it was always a dream for her to compete and win. McLaughlin also said running track forced her to mature quickly and it taught her a lot of important life lessons.

Part of this maturity involved meeting her now fiancée, which McLaughlin said had a lot to do with the evolution of her faith. She said her and Levrone Jr. connected because of a mutual friend, and he slid into her DMs on social media.

The pair originally started off as friends, but their relationship grew when they connected over their faith. She said she knew he is was the one after the fourth day they talked.

Levrone Jr. popped the question when McLaughlin was celebrating her birthday in Arizona with friends. The proposal was a surprise, but McLaughlin said she had a sneaking suspicion he might show up at the celebration.

The couple hasn't set an official date yet for a wedding, as they need to plan around the World Championships that McLaughlin is supposed to run in next year. But McLaughlin said it will definitely be an intimate wedding with close family and friends.

In terms of mental health, McLaughlin said whenever she faces a challenge or adversity, she turns to God and prayer. She also takes time to be alone or go to the beach and listen to music in order to recenter and stay grounded.

But she said leaning on her support system and not bottling up emotions inside has improved her mental health, as well. Vocalizing her issues and releasing them into the public is something she said has been a recent endeavor that has helped her feel less alone.

To read the full interview with "The Knot" and learn more about McLaughlin's wedding plans, click the link here.

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