Allyson Felix

For #martriarchmonday we are honoring Allyson Felix who is an Olympic and World champion American track athlete and will be turning 35 years old this week! As one of the most decorated female track competitors in the world, she completed a degree in Elementary Education at the University of Southern California. 

Felix brought attention to issues of maternity rights in the work place by sharing her experience renegotiating her contract with Nike after giving birth in 2018. Her advocacy alongside other professional women athletes resulted in Nike and other athletic apparel companies adding maternity protections to contracts with their sponsored athletes. Sharing about her experience giving birth several weeks early due to preeclampsia, Felix also brought awareness to the disproportionately high childbirth complication and mortality rates among black American woman. Her openness about her pregnancy experience brought nuance to national discussions regarding the very high childbirth mortality rates prevalent in the United States. Most recently, Felix has used her platform to voice solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Her courage over the course of her career has shown that being a professional athlete, a mother, and an advocate for equality are not exclusive undertakings; that being an Olympian and professional athlete is not an apolitical identity but rather a role of responsibility to envision a better future for our families and society.