By Mallory Mattingly
Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix refuses to back down from fighting for moms who are also athletes.
She advocates for “equitable maternal protections” for female athletes who often face penalties from their sponsors when they’re pregnant.
“I’ve been one of Nike’s most widely marketed athletes. If I can’t secure maternity protections, who can?” she said. “If we have children, we risk pay cuts from our sponsors during pregnancy and afterward. It’s one example of a sports industry where the rules are still mostly made for and by men.”
Felix recently partnered with TOGETHXR to make “sure moms have the monetary support to keep running the world.”
“Allyson Felix, the most decorated Olympic track and field athlete of all time, is a true fighter both on and off the track. After having her first child and seeing discrimination against pregnant athletes, Allyson fought to make sure that all women in sports received equitable maternal protections,” the post read.
“Felix focused on advocating for all mothers in sports to be protected from financial penalties imposed by brands or sponsors,” the post continued. “After recognizing the changes she experienced during her own pregnancy, she also decided to launch a sneaker brand designed specifically for women with special accommodations for pregnant women.”
Felix and husband Kenneth Ferguson are parents to daughter Camryn, 6, and son Kenneth “Trey,” 1.
Felix underwent an emergency cesarean section at 32 weeks due to preeclampsia to save her and her daughter’s lives. Nike pressured her to return to training as soon as possible and cut her salary by 70%. She fought back, and the company changed their athlete maternity policy.
“There have been so many women before me who had to stay silent about their fight. And so for me to be able to step out and I think my daughter gave me the courage to do that,” she said in 2021. “But I think that was really the thing, that this has been going on for far too long. And I hope that we’re really changing things.”
Felix took her fight to the big screen this year with the documentary SHE RUNS THE WORLD. “Turning adversity into action, she exposed a sports industry that sidelined motherhood, and redefined what it means to be a champion — on and off the track,” a synopsis reads.
Related: How Motherhood Inspired Allyson Felix to Win Historic 11th Olympic Medal
“Felix turned her personal and professional battles into a movement, acting as a catalyst for change in her sport and spaces beyond it. Delve into her meteoric rise and battle that changed the game not just for her, but for countless women athletes across the country,” Casey Baron with Tibeca Film wrote in a press release of the film.
On June 5, the premiere of the documentary premiered at Tribeca.
“This film is deeply personal. It’s about more than track — it’s about the heartbreak, the fight to be seen, and finding purpose through it all. This film means so much to me and if you’re in New York, I’d love for you to come out, watch, and share this moment with me,” Felix wrote on her social media.
“I still don’t have the words. Just so proud. So grateful,” she wrote in another post.
“To share something this personal — and feel that kind of love in the room — it meant everything,” she continued. “Huge thank you to the team who told my story with so much care. And to everyone who showed up… I’ll never forget it.”
Felix knows from personal experience that being a mom is the top priority for many female athletes, and she isn’t afraid to fight for their ability to take care of their kids.
Read Next: Former NFL Star Benjamin Watson on Pro-Life Advocacy: ‘Voice for the Voiceless’
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
- Content: +1Share:
- Content: +1