Allyson Felix is on Track!

Allyson Felix has an amazing track record. She has conquered much in her career including the 2012 Olympics, as a champion, a three-time world champion, and the list goes on and on. The California native has dominated the track for years, but now she’s turning her attention to a different race. Mental health and wellness. We can never get tired of this conversation, nor can we create boundaries for who can participate. We are elated to see more celebrities and social lights join this talk. The statistics speak for themselves and so must we.

At one point Allyson had a deal with Nike. Their history with the top athletes on the planet is no secret, and we love to see the girlies doing well. However, the deal was no more in 2019 and Felix has now become her own boss with her own shoe line, SAYSH. Branded as the running shoe for women SAYSH is born from a story of triumph and perseverance.

After Allyson became pregnant, Nike offered her a 70 percent cut in pay, allegedly. That’s wild. Seeing the gaps and disparities in her athletic community, Felix was compelled to give fellow female athletes as well as mothers a better option. One of the most awesome purchase policies to date is her Maternity Returns Policy.

The policy states that when a customer becomes an expectant the company will send a fresh pair of shoes to accommodate the new shoe size. That is awesome and should be adopted everywhere. I hope the competition sees the thoughtfulness behind this!

In an interview with Essence Allyson speaks of how important balance is when it comes to mental health. When asked about how she makes the balance work, she says, “By really making space and time for myself, making my mental health a priority, understanding that it’s okay to not be okay and to not have it all together, and really leaning into that help.”

The emphasis on help is vital. Nobody can conquer this life alone. The vitality of the community cannot be understated. We all need community and often the search for the right one can be the ultimate deterrent. Nevertheless, the need must outweigh the difficulty of the journey.

We love to see a mother advocate for other mothers, and we cannot ignore what happened to Allyson after she started her journey to motherhood. After giving birth to her daughter prematurely, she was faced with the harsh reality of the lack of care and options afforded to U.S. mothers. It is sad to see how such a happy occasion can turn into turmoil for moms across the United States.

Allyson also makes note of the lack of belief and care surrounding BIPOC mothers and quite frankly I’m glad someone said something. The disparages faced in BIPOC communities when it comes to healthcare is gut-wrenching. The stories are many and each one has its own sad details. Needless to say, it is wrong and widespread. We cannot express our gratitude for people like Allyson who are shining a light on a long-overlooked subject that is far past due for some attention. We can only hope that more light and awareness is brought to this just as fast as Allyson.