Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and former NFL star Andre Levrone had what many might call a whirlwind romance. However, theirs didn’t quite fit the typical definition, as the couple is now happily married. Despite some initial doubts, they got engaged after eight months of dating. Equally unconventional was the timing of their wedding.

While Andre Levrone had pulled the curtains on his pro football career in 2020, McLaughlin-Levrone was just coming into her own. Winning gold medals and setting world records became the story of her professional life. So it made sense that as she turned 22 on July 7, 2021, McLaughlin-Levrone was adding a second gold medal to her Tokyo Olympics tally – courtesy of the 4x400m final.

But after returning to the US and wanting to celebrate not just the Tokyo hardware but also her birthday, Sydney and her friends headed to Scottsdale, Arizona. And Andre Levrone? Well, he was in Maryland. Or so she thought. And then came the signs – knowing looks, giggles, and strange behavior. As she described in her book, watching her friends acting the way they were, McLaughlin-Levrone couldn’t help but think, “Is he close by?”

Sydney got more suspicious when a videographer showed up right before the group headed out for her birthday celebrations. As she sat in her car and drove to the destination, “I thought, I am literally driving to my proposal.” And that was exactly it. A handwritten note by Andre and a nervous walk to the lawn later – accompanied by a few unwelcome thoughts (“He may not want to go through with it if I faceplant right now”) – she and Andre were engaged. And then came the wedding planning.

Which Olympic gold medalist made the unconventional decision to get married during the track and field season?

As mentioned earlier, this was around the time the 400mH world record-holder was just coming into her own. And it was in the middle of the season. So, common sense dictated that the couple would choose the off-season for their marriage. However, things got complicated when McLaughlin-Levrone had to make quite a few “grown-up decisions.” And one of the ones 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. “He played in the NFL, so that took August through January out of the question… Eventually, we decided on the first week of May. And we picked a venue in Virginia, not far from Charlottesville, where Andre went to college,” the hurdler revealed. Yet when she called coach Bob Kersee to inform him of the wedding date, he couldn’t entirely believe it at first.

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. “If that’s what you want to do, then that’s what we’re going to do. People will think you’re crazy, but if you’re willing to get the work done, we’ll go for it.”

That was code for “I’m going to push you that much harder since we’ve got to work around the wedding,” McLaughlin-Levrone explained in Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith. But she was on board with all of it. How could she not be, considering she was going to marry the love of her life? That said, while talking to her coach was easier than she expected, their parents required quite some convincing. After all, she and Andre had been dating for less than a year.

In the end, it all worked out. The two lovebirds tied the knot on May 6, 2022, at Early Mountain Vineyards in Madison, Virginia. And pushing herself harder on track to work around the wedding seemed to have done wonders because, a month later, she broke her 400mH world record again at the USATF Championships (51.41s). A month later, she did it against at the World Championships (50.68s). All said and done, though, did you know Sydney was waiting for the other shoe to drop when they first started dating?

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. That confession didn’t put her at ease, though. During their date, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone tried to figure out if Andre 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.