It’s not every day Olympic and World Champion Noah Lyles appears humble on social media. The boisterous champion whipped up a storm of criticism after repeatedly posting about his confidence ahead of Paris 20204. While he lived up to those words, the rack and field icon was back in the headlines, clashing with NFL star Tyreek Hill. However, this time it’s different.
Of the numerous posts Lyles made on X, few have impacted people like the one after his Olympic triumph. “I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!” the champion wrote from the City of Light. Now, these words are inspiring a new generation of talent.
Public school teacher & advocate, Justin Parmenter, took to social media to share how he’s using Noah Lyles’ words in the classroom. “My seventh-grade English students in Charlotte, NC get to read your tweet while they’re sitting in class thinking about their presents and futures. Thank you for inspiring our children to dream big and go for it.” the teacher wrote on X. The post touched the 27-year-old.
“I’m honored that you would use me as an example. Especially since I lived in Charlotte,” said the three-time Olympic medalist. Born in Gainesville, Florida, the world championship sprint double winner moved to Alexandria, Virginia, but also spent his early years in Charlotte, North Carolina. In fact, he ran his first official track and field race at Johnson C. Smith in Charlotte.
Noah Lyles has a deep-rooted connection with North Carolina. To see his words turned into a poster right above the whiteboard, inspiring kids to go beyond their perceived limits humbled the champion. People often say a champion’s actions inspire others, but few are lucky enough to see it in action. Lyles felt honored by the educator’s gesture.
At 27, the Florida native has become the current world’s fastest man. While an unforeseen COVID-19 infection may have snatched the Olympic sprint double, Lyles has achieved his dream of earning Olympic and world championship gold. Yet, such a monumental achievement felt impossible at one point in his life.
How Noah Lyles overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges
As a child, the track and field icon was hit with a double whammy of physical and learning disorders. While allergies and asthma severely affected his quality of life, attention deficit disorder and dyslexia limited his capacity to learn. However, depression and anxiety diagnoses came later, after the 200m bronze medalist faced constant bullying in school.
“They were ruthless,” Noah Lyles described his bullies while speaking to TIME. He said the relentlessness of the bullying was an, “An emotional beating, that’s the stuff that really breaks you down.” However, the third fastest man across 200m (in history) didn’t give up. The sprinter refused to believe he “was gonna be stuck” in mediocrity. So he strived to defeat his circumstances and succeeded.
The 6x world champion wrote those words because if he could overcome mental and physical challenges in the face of constant bullying, anyone could achieve greatness with enough effort. This is the message, Justin Parmenter hopes his students will take away. After Noah Lyles replied, the educator invited him to speak to the kids in person, if the athlete finds time to visit Charlotte.
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