Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles recently opened up about a surprising and deeply personal aspect of his childhood: he grew up in what he described as a cult.
The 27-year-old track star shared this revelation during an episode of the Everybody Wants to Be Us podcast, marking the first time he has spoken publicly about his religious upbringing in such detail. The episode was released shortly after Lyles’ triumph at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he added a gold medal to his already impressive list of achievements.
“I actually grew up in a cult,” Lyles began, before elaborating on the strict and controlling environment in which he was raised. “It was a cult. It just wasn’t at the level of, ‘Yeah, okay. We’re gonna drink the Kool-Aid,’ but it was super strict,” he explained, referencing the notorious phrase often associated with extreme cult behavior.
Lyles went on to describe the rigid rules imposed by the group, particularly around family and social life. According to Lyles, the community enforced that all mothers had to homeschool their children and promoted the belief that “the father was the head of the household.” The group also exercised control over personal relationships, with the church dictating who members could and couldn’t date and requiring that all marriages be sanctioned by the church.
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The environment became so stifling that Lyles’ family eventually decided to leave. They relocated to North Carolina, hoping to join a new church and start fresh. However, they soon discovered that the new church had similar controlling tendencies. “We left that, but that kind of really messed up my view of church, and it definitely messed up my mom’s view,” Lyles revealed, noting that this experience left a lasting impact on his family’s relationship with religion.
Lyles shared that it took his mother a long time to recover from the trauma of their experiences with these religious groups. “Even now, she still struggles to trust churches in general, but she never lost her faith in the religion, and I think she instilled that in us,” Lyles said, reflecting on how his mother’s resilience and faith shaped his own spiritual journey.
Despite these challenges, Lyles credits his mother for teaching him a powerful lesson about faith. “When I was young, she said, ‘When you lack faith, ask for a test, and he will provide the test,'” he recalled. This belief became a source of motivation for Lyles, particularly during difficult moments in his athletic career.
One such moment came in ninth grade when Lyles, battling the swine flu, competed in trials for the World Youth track-and-field team. Despite his illness, he pushed through and became the youngest person to make the team that day—a testament to the resilience and determination his mother had instilled in him.
Lyles faced a similar challenge during the Paris Olympics, where he had to overcome yet another illness—this time, COVID-19—just days before his bronze-winning race. Speaking about the experience, Lyles told PEOPLE that he was determined to perform well despite the setback. “[I was like] ‘Let’s try and keep this as normal as possible,’ knowing that I’ve handled stuff like this in the past,” he said on August 11. “I’ve run very close to after having contracted COVID, many times. [It’s about] knowing that I was made for moments like this and I’ve trained all my life. I know that I can go out there and still put on a great performance, and it’s an all or nothing scenario, because nothing is promised tomorrow. So I might as well take advantage of today.”
Lyles’ journey from a restrictive childhood to Olympic glory is a testament to his strength and perseverance. His story highlights the challenges he has overcome, both on and off the track, and serves as an inspiration to others facing their own obstacles.
