Athlete, Advocate, & Entrepreneur Allyson Felix Is The 2022 Annual Luncheon Speaker
On and off the track, Felix strives to be “Faster, Stronger, Greater”
Allyson Felix, the most decorated track & field U.S. Olympian in history, will be the guest speaker at our 2022 Annual Luncheon “Faster, Stronger, Greater.” Felix also is recognized as an advocate of women and mothers, using her voice to bring attention to systemic inequities such as discrimination against pregnant people, Black maternal health, and access to child care.
Since competing in her first Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, her results on the track are unrivaled. Racing primarily in the 200-meter, 400-meter, and 4x400-meter relay, she captured 13 global titles, 11 Olympic medals, 10 U.S. Championships, and a world record. In 2019, just 10 months after the birth of her daughter, she broke Usain Bolt’s record for holding the most world titles.
While she is most recognized for breaking records on the track, she advances and accelerates change for women by breaking gender norms off the track. In 2019, she left her high-profile Nike sponsorship over what she felt were a lack of maternity protections. In an opinion piece she published in The New York Times, she stated, “I’ve been one of Nike’s most widely marketed athletes. If I can’t secure maternity protections, who can?” The op-ed led to the brand’s revision of contracts to include more protections for pregnant athletes.
With new sponsor Athleta and the Women’s Sports Foundation, she created a fund to help athletes pay for child care expenses while competing at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Additionally, Felix uses her voice to bring attention to the health inequities that Black pregnant women experience. Felix was diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia when she was 32 weeks pregnant and underwent an emergency c-section to deliver her daughter. Given her level of fitness, she never imagined she would experience pregnancy complications, but she later learned that Black women are three to four times more likely to die during delivery than white mothers.
Today, she is among the 17 percent of Black women who have started or are starting their own businesses. During the pandemic, she founded Saysh, a shoe company and lifestyle brand built for women by women. When she won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, she was wearing spikes from her own line.
“Allyson Felix inspired a generation of runners to be faster, stronger, and greater,” said Lauren Y. Casteel, WFCO president and CEO. “But regardless of background, identity, or ability – all luncheon guests will find inspiration in her using her platform and position on the podium to bring all women across the finish line with her.”