Mother, Entrepreneur and The Most Decorated Track-and-Field Olympian in History

By: Greta Stuckey

As the most decorated female track-and-field Olympian in history, Allyson Felix has a loyal following of fans. Since her career began, she has been vocal on issues happening off the track and has continually proven to be a role model for young girls and women across the world.

At the age of 32, Felix was a six-time Olympic gold medalist and an 11-tome world champion. After marrying former track star, Kenneth Ferguson, Felix also wanted to be a mother. The problem was, she wasn’t ready to give up running for a family. Felix, like many other female track athletes, was under a contract with Nike. Notoriously known for cutting the paychecks and benefits of female athletes on maternity leave, Felix feared for the future of her career under Nike.

Although she was scared, Felix followed her dream of being a mother and an athlete. She gave birth to her daughter Camryn in November 2018. Dealing with severe pre-eclampsia, a condition marked by high blood pressure in pregnant women, Felix had to undergo an emergency C-section at 32 weeks. Without the C-section, Felix and her baby may not have survived.

While recovering from giving birth and taking care of Camryn who was in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for about a month, she was negotiating her contract with Nike. Despite all her success on the track and desire to get back to racing when the time was right, Nike wanted to slash her contract to 70 percent less than before her pregnancy.

“Athletes are told to shut up and play,” Felix said in a New York Times op-ed. “We are told that no one cares about our politics. We are told that we’re just entertainers, so run fast, jump high and throw far. And don’t mess up.”

Not accepting the contract cuts that Nike made with her, Felix left their sponsorship. After returning to the track and running one race unattached after the birth of her daughter, Felix signed a sponsorship contract with Athleta. The first sponsored athlete for Athleta, Felix would toe the line for her next race in a customized track uniform.

Showing up at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Felix was no longer running for herself. She was on the track representing her daughter and every woman who ever faced discrimination because of their gender. With her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter watching on the TV, Felix performed and got a bronze medal in the 400-meter dash and a gold medal in the 4x400 meter relay.

Not only did Felix collect a bronze and silver medal to add to her collection, but she did it in a pair of track spikes she created. After switching to Athleta, Felix would have to find a different shoe sponsor since Athleta only does apparel. Wanting a company to align with her values as Athleta does, Felix and her brother, Wes Felix, created their own lifestyle brand called Saysh.

With success on and off the track, Felix continues to prove to female athletes that they can accomplish multiple dreams. Being a mother is not a limiter in sport, rather it can be a catalyst for change, improvement and self-discovery for athletes like Allyson Felix.