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CV NEWS FEED // A New Jersey Catholic high school is celebrating a historic win for alumna Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, a two-time Olympic track star who has famously attributed her success completely to her faith at every step.
According to a local CBS report, McLaughlin-Levrone “is the pride” of her alma mater, which held two Olympic watch parties for the Union Catholic community to witness her compete.
In the hallways of Union Catholic, McLaughlin-Levrone is honored in the school’s “Tradition Meets Tomorrow” display. “Our challenge now,” the school’s principal, Sister Percylee Hart told CBS, “is to update it.”
“What a wonderful challenge to have,” she added.
At the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympic Games, McLaughlin-Levrone, 25, became the first woman ever to emerge as a two-time Olympic champion in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. She also broke her previous world record.
Beyond her athletic accomplishments, McLaughlin-Levrone has continued throughout her career to be an outspoken witness to her Catholic faith, which she credited in a press conference for her most recent win.
“I credit all that I do to God,” she stated at the press conference. “He’s given me a gift. He’s given me a drive to just want to continue to improve upon myself.”
In the ABC report, Sister Hart described McLaughlin-Levrone as a “role model” for the school’s students.
“It’s not the gold,” which makes her a superstar, the religious sister said: “It’s beyond gold. [It’s] her character and her humility.”
McLaughlin-Levrone competed in her first Olympics in Rio in 2016, while she was a junior at Union Catholic. Four years later, she went on to compete in the Tokyo Games, taking home two gold medals.
