This April, sprinter Allyson Felix announced this year would be her last year running. Her career has been astonishing. In 2003, she finished second in the 200m U.S. trials. She then qualified for her first World Championships.
Now, two amazing decades later, she finished out winning bronze in a mixed relay in front of her home crowd in Oregon. She said it “was a night she will cherish,” latching onto “so many good memories”. And it was an end to one of the best careers of all time on and off the track. Felix has spoken out and changed lives as well. Here are three reasons why no one will ever forget her.
Defying the Odds
During her pregnancy, Felix struggled with a life-threatening pregnancy-related disease known as pre-eclampsia. She could not compete or train during this time due to high blood pressure. She even told Time magazine she didn’t know if she could return to running.
But soon after giving birth, Felix became one of the most admirable and successful athletes in World Championships history after winning two relay gold medals in Doha.
In 2021, she struggled to find tracks to train on due to the Covid-19 global pandemic. At this point in her mid-thirties, she just barely qualified for the 400m Olympic final. She silenced all doubters in the Final, coming in third and collecting a 10th Olympic medal before adding another in the relay.
Amazing Achievements
For people who don’t closely follow track and other sports, you have most likely heard of and admired the sport’s most successful and greatest athletes. For track, these include people like Usain Bolt, who is one of the most well-known track stars in the world.
With her medals and achievements, Felix definitely deserves a spot in this group of track and field icons. Her long strides have carried her across the biggest events in the world, writing down her spot in the history books.
She has 11 Olympic medals, the most of any American track and field athlete. Seven of these medals are gold. Across 5 World Championships, she has won 19 medals, 13 of which are gold. This is the most World Championships medals in track history.
Allyson Felix could definitely be labeled as the GOAT of women’s track and field, but what she has done off the track is just as impressive.
Off the Track
After learning she had pre-eclampsia, Felix gave birth eight weeks prematurely to her daughter Camryn. This disease could have been fatal to both her and her baby. Pre-eclampsia is prevalent among African American women in the U.S., and Felix decided to raise awareness.
She spoke in 2019 at a congressional hearing saying, “After enduring the two most terrifying days of my life, I learned my story was not so uncommon. There were others like me, just like me… black like me, healthy like me and doing their best, just like me. And they faced death like me, too.”
“We need to provide women of color with more support during their pregnancies. There’s a level of racial bias within our healthcare system that is troubling and will be difficult to tackle, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t.”
Felix’s words have had a big effect. She is using her platform to speak out for women’s rights.
An opinion piece written by her in the New York Times talked about how her sponsor, Nike, wanted to pay her 70% less after she became a mother. “I’ve always known that expressing myself could hurt my career… but you can’t change anything with silence,” she wrote. “If we have children, we risk pay cuts from our sponsors during pregnancy and afterward. It’s one example of a sports industry where the rules are still mostly made for and by men.”
Soon after this article was published, Nike changed its rules about maternity pay. They decided to not reduce any salary for 18 consecutive months.
Felix still left Nike and created her own footwear company that she will continue to run after her retirement now.
Although her track career is over, Felix made it clear in her Instagram retirement announcement that her voice will not stop. “This season I’m running for women,” she wrote. “I’m running for a better future for my daughter. I’m running for you. More to come on that, so stay tuned, but I’ll be sharing a series of announcements that I’m hoping will make the world better for women.”
Now, two amazing decades later, she finished out winning bronze in a mixed relay in front of her home crowd in Oregon. She said it “was a night she will cherish,” latching onto “so many good memories”. And it was an end to one of the best careers of all time on and off the track. Felix has spoken out and changed lives as well. Here are three reasons why no one will ever forget her.
Defying the Odds
During her pregnancy, Felix struggled with a life-threatening pregnancy-related disease known as pre-eclampsia. She could not compete or train during this time due to high blood pressure. She even told Time magazine she didn’t know if she could return to running.
But soon after giving birth, Felix became one of the most admirable and successful athletes in World Championships history after winning two relay gold medals in Doha.
In 2021, she struggled to find tracks to train on due to the Covid-19 global pandemic. At this point in her mid-thirties, she just barely qualified for the 400m Olympic final. She silenced all doubters in the Final, coming in third and collecting a 10th Olympic medal before adding another in the relay.
Amazing Achievements
For people who don’t closely follow track and other sports, you have most likely heard of and admired the sport’s most successful and greatest athletes. For track, these include people like Usain Bolt, who is one of the most well-known track stars in the world.
With her medals and achievements, Felix definitely deserves a spot in this group of track and field icons. Her long strides have carried her across the biggest events in the world, writing down her spot in the history books.
She has 11 Olympic medals, the most of any American track and field athlete. Seven of these medals are gold. Across 5 World Championships, she has won 19 medals, 13 of which are gold. This is the most World Championships medals in track history.
Allyson Felix could definitely be labeled as the GOAT of women’s track and field, but what she has done off the track is just as impressive.
Off the Track
After learning she had pre-eclampsia, Felix gave birth eight weeks prematurely to her daughter Camryn. This disease could have been fatal to both her and her baby. Pre-eclampsia is prevalent among African American women in the U.S., and Felix decided to raise awareness.
She spoke in 2019 at a congressional hearing saying, “After enduring the two most terrifying days of my life, I learned my story was not so uncommon. There were others like me, just like me… black like me, healthy like me and doing their best, just like me. And they faced death like me, too.”
“We need to provide women of color with more support during their pregnancies. There’s a level of racial bias within our healthcare system that is troubling and will be difficult to tackle, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t.”
Felix’s words have had a big effect. She is using her platform to speak out for women’s rights.
An opinion piece written by her in the New York Times talked about how her sponsor, Nike, wanted to pay her 70% less after she became a mother. “I’ve always known that expressing myself could hurt my career… but you can’t change anything with silence,” she wrote. “If we have children, we risk pay cuts from our sponsors during pregnancy and afterward. It’s one example of a sports industry where the rules are still mostly made for and by men.”
Soon after this article was published, Nike changed its rules about maternity pay. They decided to not reduce any salary for 18 consecutive months.
Felix still left Nike and created her own footwear company that she will continue to run after her retirement now.
Although her track career is over, Felix made it clear in her Instagram retirement announcement that her voice will not stop. “This season I’m running for women,” she wrote. “I’m running for a better future for my daughter. I’m running for you. More to come on that, so stay tuned, but I’ll be sharing a series of announcements that I’m hoping will make the world better for women.”
