Noah Lyles is a name as polarizing as it gets. And perhaps as glamorous as it gets, too. After all, what does the man not have? Finishing the 100m finals in 9.83 seconds? Check. Being a world champion? Check. Being perhaps one of the most highlighted track and field stars of 2025? Check. But behind all these flashlights, there is a childhood that was marred with as much sadness as it was happiness. Even today, Noah Lyles remembers those memories. One that gave him pain but has also been a big source of motivation.
Noah Lyles’s childhood was filled with treasured moments spent with his father, but beneath those memories lies a lingering ache—one of distance, separation, and a bond that faded over time. Apart from his father, Noah has bittersweet memories with his younger brother, Josephus Lyles. The fastest man in the world appeared on a podcast called Toure Show, recalling the bittersweet memory with his brother and father. His father, Kevin Lyles—a former track athlete—shaped his growth in the sport.
When Lyles was asked if he could recall the time when he was able to beat his dad, he remembered the time and shared, “That didn’t happen for a while. I want to say about 13-14 years old is when I realized it, and it wasn’t so much that I got incredibly fast.” Of course, practice makes a man perfect, and loving a sport and working on it continuously helps you to gain strength and get better day by day. Lyles started his track journey at the age of 12. But is it just him learning to get better than his dad?
The Olympic champion candidly added, “It’s just that he was getting older. So you have to do a lot more to stay in shape, and you know, he has a nine-to-five.” Kevin is a former American sprinter and has many accolades to his name. One of them won gold in the 4×400 m relay at the 1995 World Championship. Noah also shared another moment from his childhood.
Noah Lyles stated, “My brother called my dad a ‘has-been’ at age 14. And my dad took that very personally. Again, my dad was a professional runner. He was a Big East champion, competed in multiple NCAA championships, and had many accomplishments in track and field. So yeah, that means a good shot.” The warmth while sharing the memories could be heard in his voice.
And why not, right? Childhood memories and the good times spent with the family always leave you nostalgic. But the memories are not always sweet; sometimes they leave a bad impact on your life.
Noah Lyles drifted apart from his father
The American track and field sprinter has good memories with his father, yet he had to face a lot of bad memories as well. Reason? Well, the reason is his parents’ divorce. Noah’s parents, Keisha Caine Bishop and Kevin Lyles, were track and field stars at Seton Hall University. Kevin, a 400m specialist, ranked in the world’s top 15 with a 45.01s sprint in 1995.
However, their divorce in 2008 created a rift, leaving young Noah to navigate the challenges of a strained father-son bond. Moving to Virginia with his mother and brother after the separation brought its own set of challenges. Noah has spoken about growing up in a strict environment. “I actually grew up in a cult,” Lyles said in the August 2024 podcast with the “Everyone Wants To Be Us” podcast.
The absence of his father during this period only deepened his struggles, forcing him to mature at an early age and find his own path in life. Reflecting on his past, Noah has admitted that dealing with abandonment wasn’t easy. He has shared how difficult it was to process the reality of being left behind, but instead of letting it define him, he channeled those emotions into his career.
His journey from childhood struggles to becoming an Olympic champion stands as a testament to his resilience and determination. Moving forward, he is still in the race to beat Usain Bolt one day.
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