For runner Allyson Felix, the Olympic video games are a lifestyle. She’s actually competed within the Olympics for almost all of her life. Now 38, the observe and discipline champion has racked up 11 Olympic medals over the course of her profession since her first Video games in 2004 in Athens, Greece, on the age of 18.
For the primary time in 20 years, she received’t be competing within the Olympics. Felix formally introduced her retirement from her signature races (the 100, 200, and 400 meters) in 2022. It’s an enormous shift for the Olympian, however Felix is way from distancing herself from the game.
Right here’s how she’s staying purposeful post-retirement, and the one factor she regrets from her lengthy Olympic run.
A purposeful pivot
Felix will not be competing on this 12 months’s Video games, however she’s nonetheless doing her half to assist spotlight and fund high-achieving feminine athletes. Along with her Voice in Sport mentorship and her latest $20 million grant from Melinda Gates to handle maternal well being, she additionally partnered with Cracker Jack to steer the Cracker Jill Highlight Squad—an initiative to help the following technology of game-changing feminine athletes.
“There’s so many extra tales, so many extra ladies in sport who want the visibility,” Felix says. “While you see somebody who seems to be such as you who’s doing one thing unbelievable, it exhibits that you would do this as properly.”
Felix’s personal inspiration got here from a number of fellow athletes, like Jackie Joyner Kersee, Serena Williams, and Lisa Leslie, to call a couple of.
“While you see somebody who seems to be such as you who’s doing one thing unbelievable, it exhibits that you would do this as properly.”
“Jackie at all times instructed me to give attention to myself, and that it takes a very very long time to be nice at one thing. I believe that basically made me decelerate the method,” Felix says. “As athletes, you need to have success immediately, however she made me perceive that it was actually in regards to the lengthy recreation.”
Since hanging up her observe spikes, Felix additionally began her personal working model, Saysh, in 2021. Saysh designs trainers for ladies, by ladies, and even has a singular maternity return coverage. Prospects can commerce of their Saysh sneakers for a brand new pair as their toes change with being pregnant—an essential factor for Felix as a maternal well being advocate and mom of two.
“I began Saysh out of necessity. I had been with Nike for nearly a decade, and after I wasn’t absolutely supported by my being pregnant I left,” she says.
Felix displays on how tough competitors turned when she began to consider increasing her household, selecting to attend to have youngsters due to what she noticed her teammates undergo.
“They weren’t supported by their pregnancies. It was actually arduous to see that—to see ladies conceal pregnancies. I did the identical factor myself and educated at 4 a.m. so nobody would know that I used to be pregnant. We did all of this as a result of we have been attempting to safe new contracts,” she says. “It was a very tough time, in order that’s an enormous motivation for me in all my advocacy work. I don’t need every other girl to really feel like she has to decide on between her career and motherhood, and undoubtedly not have to cover bringing new life into this world.”
Felix might have moved away from competitors, however she’s redirected her vitality towards different issues she’s captivated with that may make significant change for different ladies.
“[Since retiring], I have been in a position to do issues I’ve needed to do for a very long time within the working area, but in addition persevering with to advocate for feminine athletes and spending plenty of time on the Black maternal well being disaster,” she says.
What the Olympic observe champion would’ve carried out in a different way
As an 11-time Olympic medalist and 21-time world champion, it’s arduous to consider Felix would have any regrets. However with conversations round psychological well being coming to the forefront in the course of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic video games, it allowed Felix to mirror on her personal psychological well being throughout her profession.
“On the peak of my profession, I in all probability wasn’t essentially the most wholesome. I really feel like [I] had this mentality of at any value, [I] simply stored pushing ahead,” she says.
The shift that’s taking place on a world stage to de-stigmatize psychological well being is one thing Felix needs may have occurred sooner.
“I used to be so happy with Simone [Biles] and Naomi [Osaka] and what they’ve carried out through the years. I believe it actually has such an impression to have the ability to say that it is okay to not be okay. And it is okay to prioritize caring for your self. That may exist in the identical area as being an elite athlete,” she says.
“I don’t need every other girl to really feel like she has to decide on between her career and motherhood, and undoubtedly not have to cover bringing new life into this world.”
Felix displays on tough moments throughout her profession that she pushed by, like private points and a demise within the household. Irrespective of the circumstance, she sprinted by them as a substitute of stopping to deal with her psychological well being.
“I pushed by the whole lot, and I do not assume that was the most effective factor. I believe what I might have carried out in a different way is take a second for myself,” she says. “Self care was one thing that was type of non existent [back then]. If I might have identified a few of these issues, I in all probability would have carried out issues somewhat bit in a different way myself.”
Now on the opposite facet of her Olympic profession, Felix has extra time to observe self care in between her new endeavors as a businesswoman, mother, advocate, and sports activities commentator—however the shift from aggressive working is one she’s nonetheless adjusting to.
“The Olympics have been my life for thus lengthy and getting ready for them. I’ve had moments the place I am like, ‘Oh my gosh, I really feel like I needs to be preparing,’” she says. “So I am excited to take them in as a spectator and simply expertise it from a special perspective.”
