Allyson Felix needs no introduction.
She is the most decorated track and field Olympian in history. She’s about to be a five-time Olympian (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020) and has nine Olympic medals (6 Gold, 3 Silver). Her World Championship resume is just as impressive with 18 total medals (13 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze). She medaled in the 200m, 400m, 4x100m, and 4x400m and hopes to add another one in Tokyo.
In addition to her Olympic pursuits, Felix is a wife and mom.
Felix’s fight with Nike during her pregnancy is well documented. In 2019, she claimed that Nike punished her and other pregnant athletes. She took the fight all the way to Congress and became an advocate for maternal health, particularly Black maternal health.
And she refused to back down.
“Nike sometimes, they feel like you don’t have another option,” said Felix in an interview with The New York Times. “So they can get away with stuff like that because, where are you going to go? And I think that’s how I was always perceived: ‘She’s never going to say anything. She’s never going to speak out.’”
She was fearless in her scrap with Nike, never relenting in her pursuit of quality maternal care and protection. She parted ways with the brand and signed with Athleta.
Now she and Athleta are continuing her quest for maternal health.
This week Felix announced that she partnered with her new sponsor and the Women’s Sports Foundation to establish a $200,000 grant that covers childcare costs for professional athletes competing during 2021. So far, nine athletes have been chosen, including Felix’s fellow Olympians Gwen Berry (hammer) and Mariel Zagunis (saber fencing). They will each receive $10,000.
Felix understands the challenges of being a mom and a professional athlete.
“One of my first races back after giving birth to my daughter, Camryn, was the World Championships,” Felix told Fast Company. “Not only was I still breastfeeding and physically and mentally exhausted from being a first-time mom while training and competing — I was assigned a roommate at the competition. There was no way I could bring my daughter into a shared room with another athlete who is trying to get in her zone.”
After leaving Nike, Allyson needed a partner who understood those challenges and would be fully vested in addressing them.
Athleta, who recently signed Simone Biles, was that partner.
“They get that I am a whole person beyond the track,” said Felix. “They jumped right in to support my training as well as my passions and advocacy platforms. In fact, part of my contract with Athleta includes provisions for Cammy to join me whenever I am competing.”
Having her daughter with her and being able to watch her compete is a joy for Felix and all of the mothers competing in professional sports. Now they have a force supporting their lives both on and off the field of play.
And for Allyson Felix, it’s a gold medal achievement that she’ll hopefully complement with another one in Tokyo in the 400m.
