Health conditions do not limit your possibilities

Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles has proven that health conditions do not define one’s potential.

“I have asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety and depression, but I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can be. Why not you!” said Lyles, inspiring countless people with his story.

Lyles made history as the first American to win Olympic gold in the 100 meters in 20 years. On Sunday, she produced an electrifying performance, winning the closest Olympic 100m final by five thousandths of a second, securing the title for the United States for the first time since 2004.

In a thrilling finish, Lyles thought he had left it too late to catch the powerful Kishane Thompson. However, the big screen confirmed him as the winner in a personal best of 9.79 seconds, the same time as the Jamaican, but a vest’s width ahead.

He celebrated by pulling his bib out of his shirt and holding it up with his red, white and blue nail polish, proclaiming himself the fastest man in the world.

“It’s who I wanted, it’s the tough battle, it’s the amazing opponents,” said Lyles, the first American 100m champion since Justin Gatlin in 2004. “I didn’t do it against a slow field — I did it against the best of the best, on the biggest stage, with the biggest pressure.”

Lyles was right about the competition. It was the first time eight men had broken 10 seconds in a legal 100m windward race.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe described the men’s 100m at the Paris Olympics as close to “breathtaking perfection” and praised Lyles for his outstanding performance.

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The exuberant American won gold by five thousandths of a second in the most competitive men’s 100m final in Olympic history, with just 0.12 seconds separating the eight sprinters in an overall finish. “Well, if it’s not perfect, it’s about as close to perfect as you’re going to get,” Coe said.

“(Lyles) is extremely important,” Coe said. “If I’m wearing the promoter’s hat, then his win last night was important because now he creates a narrative that takes us back into Usain Bolt territory. He’s a recognizable face that young people are now talking about.”

Coe, a two-time Olympic 1,500m champion, laughed when told Lyles wanted his own sneaker – common among professional basketball players rather than sprinters – saying: “There’s no money in spikes. Even Michael Johnson didn’t have a sneaker”.

“He’s recognizing that he’s starting to outgrow the sport, which is something we really want everyone to do,” Coe added.