Life after the Tokyo Olympics has been a whirlwind for Sydney McLaughlin as she has gone from appearance to appearance greeting the ones who cheered her on and seeing friends and family she hasn’t since prior to the pandemic.
A return trip to her high school in Union Catholic, where she was honored with a ceremony and an unveiling of a second Olympic banner, was one she had circled on her victory tour.
“I was really excited about this one and it was special for sure,” she said. “Being able to talk to the students and share wisdom that I wish I had when I was their age means a lot. I’m not that far removed, but there are things that I’ve learned that I want to be able to give to them.”
A trait McLaughlin preached is gratitude.
It’s what she takes on and off the track with her and it’s one of the best pieces of advice she can give to an athlete who’s in the same spot she was in five years ago.
“I’ve learned to be grateful for those in your corner whether you win or lose,” she said. “I understand that the people matter more than the goal itself. Being able to take this journey with all of the people in my corner and having them support me means more than any medal could. At the end of the day, it’s all for the glory of God.”
As a two-time Olympic gold medalist, an Olympic world record holder, a 2016 Olympic semifinalist at 17 years of age and holder of countless records and awards at the high school and college level, McLaughlin has more than enough to be proud of.
After sitting back for a few months and soaking in the support, she believes there’s more than the fulfillment of dreams that comes with her accomplishments.
“It’s so much more exciting for those around me than it is for me,” McLaughlin said. “Being able to win a gold medal has been a childhood dream of mine, but for those around me able to be a part of something I worked for, it means so much. I’m grateful that I can bring that opportunity to them.”
One of those on the edge of his seat in July was her former head coach at Union Catholic in Mike McCabe.
McCabe just completed his 18th year as the school’s coach and has seen a lot working with both the boys and girls teams, although watching McLaughlin take gold on the Olympic stage with the locals in Scotch Plains was an experience unlike any other.
“For the final, I don’t think I’ve ever been that excited,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been that nervous watching something that I wasn’t directly a part of. The Stagehouse was the loudest thing I’ve ever heard, it was amazing energy.”
A lot of what made it special for McCabe was seeing the growth in McLaughlin from her freshman year as a Viking to now. He touched on what has changed both on and away from the track.
“The growth is from a young kid to a woman,” he said. “I’ve seen her grow athletically of course, but also intellectually and spiritually. She’s still deep down the genuine person she was when she was 13 years old though. It’s pretty cool to see it.”
The ceremony culminated with the banner reveal as McLaughlin pulled the rope to remove the tarp, ducking as the nails holding it down fell to the floor and the gym erupted in applause.
The banner joins another dozen in the rafters with her name on it, and serves as another symbol for the impact she has made on her alma mater, the state of New Jersey and the USA track and field community as a whole.
“I took the medals home that night of and sat them on the bed and asked myself if this was real,” McLaughlin said. “It’s an awesome testament to the past year of all the hard work and dedication. They’re amazing souvenirs to bring home for sure.”
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Ryan Patti may be reached at rpatti@njadvancemedia.com.
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