Allison Felix on why she wants to raise her children, including her infant son to grow up as feminist.
Allyson Felix, the most decorated track and field athlete of all time, has long been a trailblazer both on and off the track. Now, the 20-time World Championship medalist and 11-time Olympic medalist is turning her focus toward raising her two children to be advocates for women’s rights.
In an interview with BBC World Service, Felix explained her commitment to instilling feminist values in her 5-year-old daughter Camryn and her infant son Trey, born in April 2024.
For Felix, this mission is deeply personal, rooted in her own experiences as an athlete, mother, and advocate for maternal health and gender equality.
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Allyson Felix has revealed what she wants her children to remember about her, rather than her legendary athletic achievements.
“I will talk to him about being an ally,” Felix shared, emphasizing the importance of raising her son to support and champion women’s rights.
“It is so important for me. My brother is a huge ally in my life, and I want to talk to him about how to treat women and how he will grow up to be a feminist as well. Those things will make me happy.”
Felix expressed her excitement about empowering her children to become part of the solution. “I am excited to raise him to know that he can be a part of solutions. He can be of help and be proud to be a feminist as well. I really want to leave things better than I found them.
“I get excited about creating change and doing things differently, so I do not feel like it’s a burden. I find joy knowing that for my kids, they will not have to face the challenges that I did.”
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This is how Allyson Felix used her infamous fallout with Nike in 2017 as fuel to achieve two big milestones in her career.
Fierce advocate for women’s rights
Felix’s journey as an advocate began with her own struggles as a mother. In 2018, while 32 weeks pregnant with Camryn, she was diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia and underwent an emergency cesarean.
Her daughter spent time in a neonatal intensive care unit, an experience that reshaped Felix’s outlook and ignited her fight for maternal health rights.
In 2019, Felix courageously called out her former sponsor, Nike, in a New York Times op-ed, revealing that the company had threatened to reduce her pay by 70% if her performance was affected by motherhood.
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Her bold stand led Nike and other athletic apparel companies to revise their maternity policies, ensuring pay and bonuses for 18 months around pregnancy.
This year, Felix championed the establishment of a nursery in the Olympic Village, marking the first time such a facility was made available to athletes competing in the Games. Her advocacy reflects her desire to create systemic changes that benefit future generations.
Felix is equally intentional about the values she hopes to instill in her daughter Camryn. “Growing up in this world, she will have challenges and difficulties,” Felix admitted.
“I want to be able to give her the tools to navigate those challenges. As a mum, I worry about those things, but I have to make sure I instill in her character and integrity so she will have the strength to get through those difficulties.”
Felix also shared glimpses of Camryn’s vibrant personality and budding athleticism. “She is athletic. I see it coming, but right now, she is doing a bit of everything—tennis, swimming, and just, you know, being a kid,” she said with a smile.
Despite the unpredictable challenges of motherhood, Felix finds fulfillment in preparing her children for the future. “They both have their challenges, but being a mother is so unpredictable,” she admitted. “There are so many challenges; it wears on your heart a lot. That is probably the tougher one.”
