When the most decorated sprinter in U.S. history, Allyson Felix, retired, she left behind a commendable legacy. Not only did she win numerous accolades in the arena of track and field, but she also advocated for the rights of female athletes and women in general. There would be no sprinter in the entire world who would not have dreamt of being exactly like Allyson Felix.

The retirement of this track and field icon meant that the sport lost a star that shone brightly forever and always. Surprisingly, as fantabulous as her career has been, Felix has time and again said that she does not necessarily want her 3-year-old daughter, Camryn, to follow in her footsteps.

Legend Allyson Felix does not see her daughter as a future sprinter

Felix’s last major race before retirement was as part of the 4x 400m mixed relay team at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, in which she won a bronze. Needless to say, her fans wanted her back on the track sometime in the future, if not immediately. Allyson Felix, while retiring, had already explained the reason for the same: she wanted more time with her daughter and her family.

Therefore, when she was asked if she would return to competing in races in the future during an exclusive interview with Olympics.com, her answer was, “What could get me back on the track? Probably supporting my daughter. That’s as close as it would ever get.” However, in a completely contradictory statement given by her in the same interview, the 37-year-old also said, “I really hope that my daughter does something other than track and field.” Even though Felix does not want to compete anymore, the 11-time Olympic gold medalist misses the thrill that comes with major championships.

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Allyson Felix revealed, “I loved the thrill of competition, getting on the line and knowing who was going to be the best in that moment. And so that’s probably what I miss most.” But that is not enough to bring her back into the fold, and she is happy in her new role as a dedicated mother, wife, business manager, member of IOC’s Athletes’ Commission, and board member of several non-profits working on women’s rights. Only time will tell if Camryn will take after her parents (Allyson Felix’s husband, Kenneth Ferguson, was also a sprinter), but Felix wishes for her 3-year-old to go down a different path. Why is that so?

The hardships a mother wants to protect her daughter from

There is no doubt that the legacy of her mother has rubbed off on Camryn in some way or the other. After all, she cheered for Allyson Felix several times. In fact, the iconic sprinter finished the last race of her career hand-in-hand with her tiny daughter, during an event organized by Athleta. This begs the question, why does Felix want different things for her daughter?

During an interview with PEOPLE, Allyson Felix clarified her mindset, and said, “I think we have those desires, just because we’ve been in this sport for so long and we know how hard it is. We want the best for our children. Sometimes you hope they’ll take a different route, but then it’s like sometimes it feels inevitable.” While Felix might have her reasons to keep her daughter away from the track, no one knows what the future holds for the mother-daughter pair.

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