Noah Lyles and the Hug Heard Round the World

A Gift for Mom! 🤍

Noah Lyles won Olympic gold in the 100m dash by five thousandths of a second—less time than it just took you to blink.

But the exciting photo finish isn’t what I’ll remember.

It’s this moment when he hugged his mom.

As a child, Noah was diagnosed with severe asthma, severe enough to land him in the hospital many times battling the disease.

But Noah dreamed of running; it was in his blood. His mom, Keisha Caine Bishop, was an all-American collegiate sprinter and his dad, Kevin Lyles, won gold in the 4x100m relay at the 1995 World Championships.

So he started nebulizer treatments. Keisha threw out the curtains and every stuffed animal in the house. Doctors removed Noah’s tonsils and adenoids to help him breathe a little easier. He learned to live with asthma.

And he ran.

Noah excelled in local races, turned pro as a teenager, won three national championships, and became a star in his own right.

And now he can call himself the world’s fastest man.

NOAH LYLES’ OLYMPIC DREAM COMES TRUE!

100M GOLD MEDALIST. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/qR6bkXLHhE

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 4, 2024

The gold medalist acknowledged all he’s overcome in a now-viral post on X after his Olympic victory:

“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!”

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!

— Noah Lyles, OLY (@LylesNoah) August 4, 2024

When Noah climbed into the stands after Sunday’s race, his mom enveloped her 28-year-old son in a fierce hug. “I’m so proud of you. I’m so proud of you,” she repeated through tears.

It looked like a mother hugging her son . . . but it was so much more.

Every ounce of struggle, every frustrated tear, every doubt and fear and heartache—a mother’s heart holds it all for her children, for all time. That’s what I saw in that hug, what every mother could feel through the screen in that embrace.

The distance from the start block to the finish line is just 100 meters, but the journey? A mother knows better than anyone it’s a whole lot longer . . . and it really does go by in a blink.

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#boymom a mother's love asthma boy mom gold medal gold medalist hug hug your mom hugs mom Motherhood Noah Lyles Olympic champion Olympics Paris Olympics son the Olympics track track and field track mom

Carolyn Moore

Carolyn has served as Editor-in-Chief of Her View From Home since 2017. A long time ago, she worked in local TV news and fell in love with telling stories—something she feels grateful to help women do every day at HVFH. She lives in flyover country with her husband and five kids but is really meant to be by the ocean with a good book and a McDonald's fountain Coke.

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