The most decorated woman in U.S. Track and Field History, Allyson Felix has and continues to inspire many people around the world. She has been to the Olympics 5 times, and so far has earned 11 medals. As of 2018, Allyson Felix gave birth to a beautiful daughter, 32 weeks pre-mature, and with a c-section. Many people told her she would be unable to make it to the Olympics this year; however, this did not let that stop her, finishing with a bronze medal in the 400 meters. Not only did she get third, she also ran her best race in 6 years, with a time of 49.46. To run this speed at any time in an athlete’s life is incredible, but to run it after giving birth to a child is inspiring.

With all of her amazing accomplishments, it’s no surprise that Felix recently procured a sponsorship from Altheta, a clothing store specifically branded to female athletes. “When it came to the Olympics this year – I didn’t have a sponsor for my racing spikes. I was tired of asking for change. I knew I needed to create it.” Allyson Felix has shown time and time again that when change needs to happen in our lives, she is ready and willing to do it. Not only has she done so with shoes, but also with some things in the bigger picture.

When Felix was around 6 months pregnant, she knew that it was going to be a problem with one of her biggest sponsors, Nike. She asked Nike for a contract stating that she would not be punished for her performance around her pregnancy. Nike declined, and she walked away. She, with the help of her teammates who inspired her to go public with this, shared their pregnancy stories with a Times Investigation.

Allyson Felix impacted great change for many around the world. She has accomplished so much, and will certainly continue to do so. Allyson Felix wrote in an Instagram post, “Overcoming obstacles is tough. This year I have been learning the importance of just doing the work. It’s not glamorous, it’s tedious and sometime frustrating. Slowly but surely, even when it’s hard to see the goal is getting closer. If you are in a similar space right now, keep pushing.”