Sprinter Allyson Felix is a breakout track and field star, and today she is the only female runner ever to win six Olympic gold medals and the only U.S. track and field athlete, male or female, to win 13 gold medals at the world championships.
“It was not until the end of my freshman year in high school that I thought I could really have a future in track and field. I definitely did not think I could make it to the Olympics back then, though; I was just focused on making it to the state finals!” she once explained.
Over the course of her athletic career, she has won countless accolades by competing in the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter races and in the 100- and 400-meter relay events.
Felix pursues her passion with determination both on and off the track. In 2020, she was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, after she spoke out about her fight with Nike to secure maternity protections.
In 2018, when she decided to start a family, she asked for, but was denied, a contractual guarantee from Nike that she would not be financially punished for not meeting her performance standards in the months surrounding childbirth.
As a result of one of Nike's most widely marketed athletes speaking out, the brand ratified a maternity policy ensuring same pay and bonuses for sponsored athletes for 18 months around pregnancy. And this caused other athletic apparel companies across the industry to follow the move.
Felix also teamed up with Better Starts For All to provide access to prenatal care services, support, and education for women in maternity care deserts and undeserved communities. Through these efforts, she has become an outspoken advocate for moms, especially women of color, across the country. She now hopes to make history again at the next Olympic games.
“We are facing tremendous challenges and loss of an unthinkable proportion,” she said. “But as a global community we have to commit to waking up tomorrow morning and finding a new way to relentlessly pursue our audacious dreams…I am not sure what the future holds, but my goals have not changed. I still hope to experience the feeling of standing on that podium in 2021 and I hope my journey to try to get back there will inspire you to keep moving forward.”
By adding two medals to the nine she already has, she would become the most decorated U.S. Olympic track and field athlete.