What is Allyson Felix Doing Now?

Allyson made it clear that the Tokyo Olympics would be her last Olympic stage. She has also recently announced that she’d retire from the track and field sport once the 2022 sports season concludes.

And instead of simply focusing on the time left she has in her career, she further emphasized that her final season would be about having fun.

A better world for women

Furthermore, she also stated that she is more focused on competing for a better world for women, particularly her daughter. But despite her upcoming retirement from the world of track and field, the seven-time gold medalist has busied herself with her other endeavors.

So, what is Allyson Felix doing now? Here is what the most decorated American female track and field competitor has been up to recently below.

President and Founder of a Lifestyle Brand for Empowering Women

Felix has always been passionate about her advocacy for maternal health and women’s empowerment. So, as an entrepreneur and advocate, Felix and her brother now manage her lifestyle brand Saysh.

Although the brand initially manufactured racing shoes, Saysh now primarily focuses on creating comfortable lifestyle shoes that merge professional and casual styles into one pair of shoes.

Furthermore, as part of her advocacy for maternal health, Felix introduced the Maternity Returns Policy in her shoe company.

This policy guarantees that all pregnant women who own a pair of Saysh shoes can get free instant size-ups. Felix hopes that this policy will transform the world into one that’s more equitable, especially for women.

Saysh was established two years after Felix’s departed from Nike. This was amidst news that the famous shoe brand did not sponsor her during her previous (and final) Olympic stage.

Starting a family

In 2018, she was very vocal about how starting a family could negatively impact her Nike sponsorship.

After giving birth to her daughter in November that year, Felix disclosed that Nike provided her with a salary that was seventy percent less than the amount she usually received prior to her pregnancy.

After that incident, Allyson declared that she was tired of asking for change. Such events resulted in her creating her own shoe brand that battled inequality through female imaginativeness and sports showmanship.

Setting Up A Childcare Grant for Athlete Mothers

Felix also demanded a future where athlete mothers could pursue fruitful sports careers even if they started a family. She has always been vocal in expressing how hard it is for female athletes to make family decisions without putting their careers at risk.

After all, Felix experienced this herself, especially after her public dispute with her former sponsor Nike.

So, to ensure female athletes didn’t have to choose between motherhood or their sports career, Felix demanded better sponsorship contracts for athlete mothers.

Aside from that, Felix also recently partnered with the Women’s Sports Foundation and Athleta to establish The Power of She Fund Childcare Grant.

The Power of She Fund Childcare Grant offers $10,000 funds for US-based women athletes who have minor children or are pregnant. Felix hopes that athlete mothers can have enough funds for various childcare costs during their upcoming sports competitions with this childcare grant.

The grant would cover expenses related to caregiving, travel, food, necessities, medical care, and other extra expenses that arise upon bringing a child to a sports competition.

All in all, Felix’s childcare grant ensured that athlete mothers who lacked the necessary funding could still compete in sports competitions without any obstacles.

Felix’s childcare grant has already been awarded to numerous recipients. Some of these recipients include Lauren Fendrick, Aileen Geving, and Gwendolyn Berry.

Who is Allyson Felix?

Allyson Michelle Felix is a professional American track and field competitor who has won a total of eleven Olympic medals in her sports career. Her eleven Olympic medals include seven gold medals, three gold medals, and one bronze medal.

But overall, Felix has earned eighteen medals throughout her track and field career. Eleven of these medals are from team relays, while seven came from individual competitions.

One of Felix’s widely known performances includes her 47.72-second run performed at the 2015 Beijing World Championships’ US Women’s 4 by 400 meters relay team category.

Another noteworthy performance of hers was her individual 200-meter run with a duration of 21.69 seconds at the 2012 US Olympic Trials. This performance ranks third among American women’s list of fastest runs in the US track and field history.