Allyson Felix is not here to mess around. This Olympic sprinter just beat out Usain Bolt’s record with her win in the 4x400m relay for a mixed-gender team. She and her team took home gold at the World Championships. This was the 12th gold medal win for Felix, passing Usain Bolt’s record for most gold medals of any athlete.
All this comes following the birth of Felix’s daughter, Camryn. She was born out of a C-section emergency at only 32 weeks. She said it was because of “severe pre-eclampsia that threatened the lives of me and my baby.” She returned to the racetrack after 8 months post-birth.
Allyson was one of the many female track stars who alleged that Nike was penalizing them for being pregnant. The company has since promised to do more to protect the rights and pay of its pregnant female athletes. “I think everything I went through this year … it just brings it all back that it’s so much bigger than myself,” said Felix.
Felix is loving being a mother and an athlete. “It’s different, definitely challenging,” she says, “I think for any new mom when she returned to work just, you’re exhausted and you’re balancing your family and what it all looks like.”