Allyson Felix will compete in her final U.S. nationals this week. Photo by Chloe Montague
As Allyson Felix prepares for her penultimate meet in what has been an illustrious career, reflection is becoming more prevalent in her life. The 36-year-old mother has begun to look at what life will be like beyond the track while appreciating the journey that brought her here today.
“I’m so grateful to have been in this sport for so long,” Felix said Wednesday during a USATF press conference. “It’s given me a life I never could have dreamed or imagined. I never thought I’d be able to run this long.”
Felix comes to Eugene this weekend for the USATF outdoor championships as the most decorated athlete, male or female, in World Athletics Championships history with 18 medals. She will compete in the 400-meter first round Thursday at Hayward Field.
Nike failed to re-sign Felix in December 2019 while she was not able to compete due to pregnancy. This came as a shock to Felix and made her realize the need for a change. In 2020, the five-time Olympian and 11-time Olympic medalist created her own shoe brand, Saysh. The brand focuses on making shoes made for women rather than adapting an already existing man’s shoe into a women’s shoe. She competed in the Saysh shoes in the Tokyo Olympics.
“I hope my legacy is one of trying to leave the sport better than I found it and really just fighting and advocating for women,” Felix said. “To be able to do all of this in my own shoes is really special.”
While still having her eyes on the podium, Felix hopes to shed light on another issue that is important not only to her but to all women in the sport. Being a mother has made Felix pursue the issue of child care for the children of athletes who are competing.
Through her sponsor, Athleta, they have been able to form The Power of She Fund, which provides grants through the Women’s Sports Foundation to assist athletes in all sports in paying for child care. In addition, at the U.S. championships, Athleta and the nonprofit &Mother are providing free child care for athletes on site.
Felix was influenced by the Women’s Tennis Association and the WNBA, which provide resources for mothers who need child care. She has pledged that 20 percent of the sales that are made from Saysh shoes will be donated to support The Power of She Fund to help with funding.
“I think the biggest hurdle is funding and the logistics of things,” Felix said. “I hope this is raising awareness and that this is something that will be around for a long time. The goal is for this to be the norm that extends to other sports and society as a whole.”
The seven-time Olympic gold medalist has reached a point of stardom where people take note of the shoes she is wearing, and Felix has taken every opportunity to use her platform. But even while competing at the highest level in the sport, Felix is excited to see where the sport goes when she is no longer competing.
“I think track is really exciting right now,” Felix said. “There’s so much talent and excitement in the sport. Things have really evolved since when I first entered the sport. Even the culture has changed for the better and the sport is in a really good place.”
