“I have curls, but I was in love with a straightener for a long time,” admits Olympic medalist and American hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who now stars in Olaplex’s Designed To Defy campaign. For her, restoring and maintaining healthy hair has become essential.
The topic of how often textured hair should be washed is often debated, but for McLaughlin-Levrone, once or twice a week works—depending on her hair’s dryness and training schedule. Her go-to four-step routine includes Olaplex’s Hair Perfector, Shampoo, Conditioner, and Leave-In. “The biggest thing I’ve learned,” she shares, “is making sure my hair has the moisture it needs to keep its shape throughout the day”—a sentiment many with textured hair can relate to.
Even with a steady routine now in place, McLaughlin-Levrone reveals, “my hair has, at times, been something I just wasn’t confident in.” For her, the Designed To Defy campaign is about celebrating the natural beauty of curls she once struggled to embrace. Today, caring for her hair has become a meaningful form of self-love.
In the campaign, hair professionals focus on styling healthy hair rather than fixing the damage caused by harsh treatments like bleaching, relaxing, or tight braiding. Naeemah LaFond, McLaughlin-Levrone’s stylist for the campaign, emphasizes challenging outdated beauty standards—especially in how textured hair is portrayed. “We created two looks to highlight that,” she explains.
The first look captured the hurdler on the track, tightening her wash-and-go ponytail. “It really reflected how she carries herself every day—confident, authentic, and effortlessly grounded,” LaFond says. For this style, she focused on hydrating and defining the curls to give them a natural, radiant finish without weighing them down.
The second look, shot in the locker room, showcased a fuller, more voluminous style. “When I suggested enhancing her curls with volume, she was totally on board,” LaFond shares, incorporating the Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo. “Volumizing products are often overlooked for curls, but they’re excellent for adding lift and shape.”
Despite her packed schedule—balancing commercial work with elite-level training—McLaughlin-Levrone stays grounded through self-care. “For me, self-care means taking small moments to feel confident before stepping out each day,” she says. “How you feel and present yourself influences everything else you take on.”
Looking ahead, she remains laser-focused on her athletic journey—training hard, competing, and continuously pushing limits. “That mindset of defying expectations fits perfectly with who I am as an athlete,”