U.S. Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin married former NFL player Andre Levrone Jr. on Friday in what has been described as a “Christ-centered ceremony” in Madison, Virginia.
The couple tied the knot after getting engaged in August of 2021. In announcing their engagement, McLaughlin, 22, posted a short note to her future husband, concluding with Proverbs 18:22 from the Bible. It reads: “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.”
“We’ve been waiting for this day for a very long time so just excited that it’s finally here and we can say we’re married,” McLaughlin told People in an exclusive story.
The track and field star posted her wedding photos on Instagram on Sunday.
The ceremony was held at Early Mountain Vineyards and was officiated by Pastor Greg Hendricks, the campus pastor at The Rock Church in San Diego, California, according to People. Chandler Moore & The Gospel Group performed the music during the nuptials.
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McLaughlin’s new husband Levrone, 27, also posted photos from the wedding to his Instagram account, writing, “& the two became one.”
“May the success of our marriage not be gauged by fame, fortune, or flash. But by submission to one another, a supernatural unity, & the pursuit of reconciliation for others,” he continued.
One of the photos Levrone posted shows 1 John 4:19 embroidered in white on the tongue of his black tennis shoe.
Found in the Bible’s New Testament, 1 John 4:19 reads: “We love because he first loved us.”
A former NFL wide receiver, Levrone played at the University of Virginia during his college career. He was undrafted, but was later signed by the Baltimore Ravens and spent parts of three seasons with Baltimore, Carolina, and Jacksonville, according to Sports Spectrum. He retired from the NFL in 2020.
As for their honeymoon, the newlyweds are waiting for the end of track season before planning a trip either in September or October, according to People.
“We’re still figuring out where we want to go and what we want to do, but we’re definitely not taking that off of the calendar at all,” McLaughlin told the outlet.
Both McLaughlin and Levrone have been outspoken about their Christian faith on social media.
As CBN News reported last year, after McLaughlin won her second gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, she responded to her many fans in the United States and around the world by thanking God.
A devout Christian, she wrote a message of “submission and obedience to God,” and included an image showing her draped in an American flag after her victory.
“Let me start off by saying, what an honor it is to be able to represent not only my country but also the kingdom of God,” McLaughlin wrote. “What I have in Christ is far greater than what I have or don’t have in life. I pray my journey may be a clear depiction of submission and obedience to God.”
She pointed out that God the heavenly Father “will make a way out of no way.”
“Even when it doesn’t make sense, even when it doesn’t seem possible. He will make a way out of no way. Not for my own gratification, but for His glory,” she continued. “I have never seen God fail in my life. In anyone’s life for that matter.”
McLaughlin reminded her followers that God’s will is perfect.
“Just because I may not win every race, or receive every one of my heart’s desires, does not mean God had failed. His will is PERFECT,” she noted. “And He has prepared me for a moment such as this. That I may use the gifts He has given me to point all the attention back to Him.”
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