Olympic Medalist Allyson Felix Is Enjoying Retirement And Focusing On Motherhood: "Sometimes You Sacrifice Some Things"
Female elite athletes are eventually left with a difficult decision of whether they want to continue their career or focus on motherhood and their family. Five-time Olympian Allyson Felix recently retired and shared some insight into how she's handling the transition.
Allyson Felix has accrued 11 Olympic medals in track and field; at the London Olympics in 2012, she won three gold medals. But she decided to retire recently after helping Team USA win the 4x400-meter relay preliminary race in Oregon. Her biggest focus right now is motherhood.
Olympic Medalist Allyson Felix Is Enjoying Retirement and Focusing on Motherhood
Her daughter Camryn is now three years old and when Allyson shares details of her pregnancy, it's clear to see that it wasn't an easy road for her. She had a life-threatening case of preeclampsia, which resulted in a C-section when she was 32 weeks pregnant. Her daughter spent a whole month in the NICU before she was able to come home with Allyson. During this period, she said Nike, her sponsor, attempted to cut her pay by 70% in a new contract and even pressured her to return to competition.
"I had so much fear, and I had never been that person that was comfortable speaking out," she told Romper. "I was always a private person, so when I thought about sharing what was happening with me, it just seems so far outside of who I was."
Allyson's brother encouraged her to speak up and use her voice. "[He] made me feel like I can do this, even if I’m scared. I can still move forward,” she recalled.
“I realized on the other side of that fear is this incredible freedom,” she said. “I can have an opinion on things; I can stand up for people whose voice may not be as loud.”
Shortly after, she wrote an op-ed for The New York Times and Nike updated its policy to grant pay and bonuses for pregnant women. Allyson also started her own lifestyle brand called Saysh and signed on with Athleta. Now that Allyson is retired, she's focusing on her daughter Camryn.
“Whether that’s clearing a day, clearing a weekend, volunteering in her classroom, or picking up or dropping off at school, I want to be in her life in the biggest way,” she said. “But it is hard to balance it. Sometimes you sacrifice some things, and I think that’s OK. When you’re trying to do something and it’s that important to you, that’s necessary.”
She also said "you don't have to choose between motherhood and anything else." Her brand Saysh will send women a brand new pair of shoes if their size changes during pregnancy. She hopes she can support mothers as much as possible during their pregnancy and postpartum phases.
“I want to help Cammy to be well rounded and to be confident,” she added. “That’s the end goal, so those smaller goals — whether they’re focused on me and my parenting, or if they’re focused on things I’m trying to give her — [need to] all go back to that.”