Allyson Felix reflects on her journey, overcoming challenges and founding her footwear brand, Saysh to empower women athletes.
American sprint icon Allyson Felix has long been a symbol of excellence and perseverance in the world of athletics, with a record-breaking career that includes seven Olympic gold medals and 14 World Championship golds.
But her impact extends far beyond her athletic achievements. Felix’s journey is one of empowerment and resilience, both on the track and in advocating for female athletes, especially in the realm of maternal rights.
The Olympics champion has shared some key characteristics that have turned her into a revered sprinter.
In an emotional conversation at the women’s sports reception hosted by “The Female Quotient” in Davos, Felix reflected on the moment that changed her life: walking away from a sponsorship deal with Nike.
“When the contract came back, I realized that there was no tie to the time to maternity, to having a baby, to anything of that nature and they weren’t ready to set that precedent for all female athletes and so I walked away. I found my voice. It was really incredible,” Felix shared as per SportKeeda.
Felix had long been an advocate for women’s rights in sports, but this moment pushed her to make a more tangible impact.
After being left without a footwear sponsor in the midst of her Olympic career, she turned to her brother for advice.
“I did not have shoes to wear in the Olympics. So, I looked a lot of places and I couldn’t find anyone after that ordeal who would sponsor me. So, having a conversation with my brother, I was really venting to him and I was like, I can’t believe I’m at this point in my career and I don’t have any footwear sponsor and he was like, I think we should do this ourselves and I was like, ‘you’re crazy’. But the more I sat with it, it was like, no, we have the opportunity to be change makers.”
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Sifan Hassan has explained why she will need hefty appearance fee and prize money before committing to Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track.
The company that was born from that conversation, Saysh, represents a new chapter in Felix’s journey.
Allyson Felix’s passion for women’s rights in sports extends beyond her personal experiences.
She has openly discussed how women athletes, particularly those who have children, have been systematically pushed out of their careers.
“Women athletes were being pushed out of the sport after having children,” Felix said.
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Olympic champion Noah Lyles previously bragged about why it was unthinkable of him losing the Olympics 100m final.
Felix pointed out that now companies like Nike are offering female athletes “18 months of maternal protection,” which is a significant step in the right direction.
