"I always thought I was running for medals and it took me my entire career to realize that I was running for change" - Allyson Felix

Seven-time Olympic gold medalist, Allyson Felix is all set to share her journey toward bringing change in society. In her latest collaboration with health brand AG1 by Athletic Greens, the retired athlete will be revealing the thoughts that compelled her to set onto a revolutionary path in her athletic career.

Ever since her retirement in 2022, Felix has donned several caps. Besides being an Olympic and world champion, she also became a mother, CEO, and advocate for maternal protection. Her path towards starting her new shoe brand Bysash and becoming an advocate for the noble cause is a result of a couple of events that shaped the athlete.

In 2018, Allyson Felix gave birth to her daughter, Camryn. Following that, she made headlines again for leaving her partnership with the reputed sports brand, Nike. The 37-year-old revealed that the brand pressured her to return to training immediately after delivery and had allegedly cut her pay by 70%. That experience urged Felix to start a sports brand exclusively for women athletes and also advocate maternal security in the athletic world.

Therefore, in her latest collaboration with AG1 by Athletic Greens, Allyson Felix will be sharing her thoughts about the life-changing experience she had. The health brand released a trailer for the upcoming series releasing on September 7 on YouTube. It featured the 14-time world champion sharing,

"I always thought I was running for medals and it took me my entire career to realize that I was running for change," Felix said.

She further said about starting her brand, Bysash,

"I didn't have a footwear sponsor. What if we just like did it ourselves? Having spoke out, having become a mother, gave me courage and a strength that I didn't know that I had."

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Allyson Felix’s pregnancy experience

Felix with her daughter (Image via Instagram/Allyson Felix)

Allyson Felix’s pregnancy experience brought a significant change in her life. In an interview with Time, she shared that 10 days after her baby shower, she went for a routine check, only to receive unexpected news.

Felix’s doctor revealed to her that her body was showing signs of preeclampsia, a high blood pressure (hypertension) disorder. She was advised to undergo delivery immediately. Allyson Felix delivered her baby via C-section on November 28, 2018. The baby girl weighed 3 lb. 8 oz. and spent about a month in the NICU.

Within six weeks of her delivery, Felix got back to training. Although she had not completely recovered, the athlete managed to win two gold medals in the 4x400m relay and 4x400m mixed at the 2019 Doha World Championships.