Noah Lyles: from winning gold at the Olympics to sharing his childhood story in a cult
20 august 2024 в 00:28
Track and field star Noah Lyles gained recognition for winning gold for the USA team at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, but recently he made headlines again by revealing that he grew up in a «cult».
The 27-year-old Olympian disclosed this during an interview on the podcast «Everybody Wants to Be Us», - released on August 12. The gold medalist explained: «It was a cult. It just wasn’t on the level of 'Yeah, okay, we’re going to drink the Kool-Aid.' But it was very strict».
He continued: «All the moms had to homeschool their kids, and the father was the head of the family. The church told you who you could date, who you couldn’t. If you got married, it had to be through them. That kind of behavior».
Coming from a Christian family, Noah struggled to understand his beliefs after being part of a cult at a very young age. Leaving North Carolina, he noted: «It really tainted my view of church, and it definitely tainted my mom’s view. Even now, she still has a hard time trusting churches in general, but she never lost faith in religion».
Reflecting on the challenges in their personal lives, he recalled the wise words his mother, Keisha Cain, once told him: «God says when you have no faith, ask for a trial, and he will provide a trial». He turned to God for help in his first year of high school to join the youth track and field team. Soon he made the team as the «youngest» qualifier and placed ninth in the world.
Lyles' revelation came shortly after he brought home victory at the Paris Games, where he won gold in the 100-meter dash and earned bronze in the 200-meter dash, despite battling COVID-19. «I can go out and still show a great performance, and it’s all or nothing because nothing is promised tomorrow. So I can take advantage of today», - he told People magazine, referring to his health at the time
The 27-year-old Olympian disclosed this during an interview on the podcast «Everybody Wants to Be Us», - released on August 12. The gold medalist explained: «It was a cult. It just wasn’t on the level of 'Yeah, okay, we’re going to drink the Kool-Aid.' But it was very strict».
He continued: «All the moms had to homeschool their kids, and the father was the head of the family. The church told you who you could date, who you couldn’t. If you got married, it had to be through them. That kind of behavior».
Coming from a Christian family, Noah struggled to understand his beliefs after being part of a cult at a very young age. Leaving North Carolina, he noted: «It really tainted my view of church, and it definitely tainted my mom’s view. Even now, she still has a hard time trusting churches in general, but she never lost faith in religion».
Reflecting on the challenges in their personal lives, he recalled the wise words his mother, Keisha Cain, once told him: «God says when you have no faith, ask for a trial, and he will provide a trial». He turned to God for help in his first year of high school to join the youth track and field team. Soon he made the team as the «youngest» qualifier and placed ninth in the world.
Lyles' revelation came shortly after he brought home victory at the Paris Games, where he won gold in the 100-meter dash and earned bronze in the 200-meter dash, despite battling COVID-19. «I can go out and still show a great performance, and it’s all or nothing because nothing is promised tomorrow. So I can take advantage of today», - he told People magazine, referring to his health at the time
© Artemenko Olga
