INDUCTION YEAR: 2025
Noah Lyles is an Olympic Gold Medalist widely regarded as the fastest athlete in the world. However, he has been named a 2025 Living Legend of Alexandria for his even more significant accomplishments, which extend beyond his athletic achievements. This honor recognizes his character, dedication, ability to overcome adversity, and his role as a model to others by demonstrating resilience in conquering obstacles and openly sharing his struggles to support those facing similar challenges. His remarkable achievements in track and field, representing Alexandria to the nation and beyond, have inspired many and are marked by Noah’s generosity and selflessness, which have had a meaningful impact on, and made our community extremely proud of him.
This native of Alexandria embodies the mission of the Living Legends organization in many ways, not just through his athletic skill but also through his bold advocacy and strategic efforts to grow his sport for everyone’s enjoyment — fans and competitors alike. More importantly, he has accomplished this by overcoming the challenges of asthma, which has affected him since birth, and depression, which has hampered many elite athletes who sacrifice much of their lives to reach the top and stand out in their achievements.
Lyles’s journey—culminating over a 10-year span in multiple World and Olympic gold medals in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 4×100-meter events, including the Gold Medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics 100-meter and regaining his 200-meter title this year after losing it at the Olympics due to COVID—is an extraordinary, lasting athletic achievement that began in Alexandria, boosting the community’s pride and quality of life.
Lyles and his brother, Josephus, consistently focus on their roots, hosting Olympic watch parties at Alexandria City High School (ACHS) and organizing winter coat drives for those in need during community celebrations, demonstrating a deep, lasting commitment. Together they formed the Lyles Brothers Sports Foundation.
Lyles’s story provides deep inspiration by demonstrating that greatness is built in the face of significant adversity—a testament to human resilience that extends well beyond sports. As he overcame obstacles unseen by his fans, Lyles earned the title of the “Fastest Man in the World” despite battling asthma and breathing issues since childhood. He has also been open about managing dyslexia and ADD. This journey powerfully illustrates a mind-over-body belief, reflecting his youthful resolve that “I would rather die trying than not try at all.”
Lyles has helped reduce the stigma around mental health issues by becoming a strong global advocate alongside a few other top athletes, openly talking about his struggles with depression and anxiety. These issues worsened due to factors like the pressure of expectations throughout his life and the sudden pause of activities caused by COVID-19.
When his mother noticed his struggle and suggested medication, he felt instant relief, describing it as if “a humongous boulder was just taken off of my chest.” By sharing his experience publicly, he reached his goal: “I don’t want to be Noah Lyles, the athlete. I wanted to be Noah Lyles, the influencer, the advocate, the community member,” offering an essential lifeline of vulnerability and hope to others, especially young athletes.
Clearly, Lyles’s vision of his sport also serves as an inspiring lesson in strategic confidence and mutual benefit, further emphasizing his legendary status. His unique flamboyance is not arrogance but a strategic effort to build track and field as a brand, making the competition an entertaining spectacle that benefits all athletes through increased viewership and earnings.
This unwavering self-belief, which he credits to his Christian upbringing and past successes, is essential to achieving seemingly impossible goals: “You have to have unwavering faith. And yet faith doesn’t always make sense” without discipline, confidence, and hard work, even if it means sacrificing some of oneself for others. To accomplish what few others have even dared to dream of, he has had to forgo some of the enjoyment of the youthfully fun adventures he might have had. Part of growing up as a world-class athlete is yielding to the demands of fans and sponsors.
Empowering future athletes, Lyles has started his own production company to give athletes more control over their image and stories, noting that “us as athletes have no rights to anything that we do.” Through these initiatives, he hopes that when he retires, “athletes will now have the starter kit to be able to decide their own careers not just on the track but off the track just as much.” This is why other athletes racing against him might see his hubris and confidence as arrogance, but they don’t. In reality, he is temporarily stepping outside of his natural tendency toward humility and friendliness to make his sport more appealing to fans, inspire young people to chase their dreams, and support his fellow competitors financially. And for that, they call him friend because they know his purpose and his true soul.
Lyles may be the fastest athlete in the world, but his true contribution to life and his pride in the City of Alexandria go far beyond his speed. He is a compassionate and generous person who thinks of others before himself and refuses to let any obstacle hold him back, inspiring everyone to have the strength to face life’s challenges. For that, he thanks his parents and siblings, whom he emulates in every way.
Lyles also values the camaraderie of his team at T.C. Williams High School (now ACHS) and the support of Coach Rayshawn Jackson, who helped him both athletically and emotionally. He returns to the City to share his journey’s highs and lows with current students, encouraging them to “realize that they can do whatever they set their mind to, that they don’t have to follow my path, but they can make their own path.”
This dedication to mentorship cements his legacy as a true Living Legend for the next generation.
By Gregg Murphy
Photo Credit: Kevin Morris