Track and field fans will always remember Allyson Felix. During their stellar career, she has achieved multiple accolades that include seven Olympic gold medals and fourteen World Championship titles. However, she was more than just a sprinter; she was a warrior who fought many anomalies on her way, particularly when she was pregnant with her daughter.

Pregnancy was one of the toughest challenges that she was going through in her athletic career. But there was more to it. This was a time when a mother should embrace the life that she was carrying, but the circumstances were quite tough for her, as she was facing challenges from the sport, especially adjusting her time with the training and even contract negotiations with her main sponsor.

Allyson Felix tackled multiple problems all at once

Every single season in her track and field career, Allyson Felix has delivered fabulously. She never backed down from a challenge and, most of the time, made it to podium finishes. Carrying her status as a world champion and an Olympic champion was indeed difficult, but she already had many responsibilities on her hands. After a terrific 2016 London Olympics, it was time for her contract renewal with her biggest sponsor, Nike. However, the shoe giant had something else stored in for one of their biggest athletes.

Despite all the glorious accolades, Nike offered her a significantly lower deal than the previous one from 2017, which raised many questions in her mind. However, complications arose after she discovered she was pregnant. Highlighting her experience way back in 2022, the sprinter took a deep dive into her problems, stating, “This is a time that should be celebrated, but looking back, I often feel like I wasn’t even pregnant. It’s really sad.” The harshness of fate’s turn against Felix was evident.

But while carrying her precious baby in her womb, she wasn’t afraid to face any kind of challenge. Like a fierce mother, she was determined to get through everything but one by one. Felix made the decision to conceal her pregnancy from the public because she didn’t want her sponsor to learn about it, as this could potentially lead to further complications in her contract, potentially resulting in a reduction in the amount she was paid. As if all of these problems weren’t enough, the Olympian was hit with another issue, but this time it was a call from the Grim Reaper.

“It definitely took a lot out of me at a very crucial time,” Felix described about her medical condition that hampered her training for the major events. So what happened? When she was 32 weeks pregnant, a routine checkup revealed that she was suffering from a life-threatening case of preeclampsia. And what’s that? It’s a pregnancy complication that is five times more likely to be dangerous to Black women, as it’s characterized by a spike in blood pressure. Due to this, she had to spend a few weeks with her daughter in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). However, her concerns were not for herself, but rather for her family. Why? She was uncertain whether she would secure a sponsor upon her return from her responsibilities as a mother.

Indeed, Felix faced a challenging period in her life, yet she persevered and surmounted all obstacles. Furthermore, the athlete and Nike parted ways in 2018, and the Olympic legend signed a deal with Athleta in 2019. She continued to call out such big companies on their contracts that don’t offer enough to support female athletes, especially mothers. On an empowering note, she also launched her shoe company, Saysh, in 2021. Until today, Felix has been an example to the community and has been the guiding light to many suffering mothers out there. However, instead of simply making speeches, Felix has collaborated with prominent figures to bring about significant changes.

Joining fellow mothers to bring solutions

Allyson Felix has witnessed her own suffering during one of life’s most significant and challenging experiences, her pregnancy. Therefore, she aspires to prevent other mothers from experiencing the same hardships she did. To bring revolution to the world, she collaborated with Pampers to create the first-ever Pampers Nursery in the Athletes Village at the Paris Olympics. Her initiative relieved mothers who had to carry their children to the venue and had no one to watch them while they trained.

“I knew firsthand how tough it was to compete at the top level after having my daughter. Some practical things were really hard. So, when I joined the Athletes Commission of the IOC, I wanted to be that voice for athlete moms and remove one more thing for them to worry about during the competition,” Felix told CBS News, highlighting her journey and how she doesn’t want these mothers to go through the same pain. Furthermore, she delivered a powerful message stating, “I think it sends a strong message that women can choose motherhood and still be at the top of their game without missing a beat.”

Later on, Felix also became a part of an initiative funded by Melinda Gates for reproductive rights and gender equity. Furthermore, the American philanthropist pledged $1 billion over the next two years to support women and families globally. Felix became involved after receiving a $20 million donation to improve women’s health in the United States and around the world. Indeed, they are making the world a safer place for women!