She had to fight to reach where she is and that is one thing she does well. The 13-time world champ will be at the Olympics for the first time as a mother, having welcomed Camryn in 2018. And she could become the first American athlete to win her 10th medal at the Olympics.
She had to fight life-threatening complications arising out of the birth of her daughter. Camryn was in intensive care for a month. And she refuses to believe that the birth of a child means getting rid of all other things in life.
And then the COVID-19 pandemic stalled Allyson Felix’s plans for the Tokyo Olympics. She has planned this would be her fifth and last.
The UCLA tracks were off-limits for Allyson Felix and she had to hit the beach, parking lots, to train for the Olympics. The area near Allyson Felix’s home in Santa Clarita turned into a makeshift/ track. Curious neighbors turned up to watch Bobby Kersee train his ward.
Grit And Endurance Saw Allyson Felix Through
Allyson Felix was 18 a just out of school when she represented the USA at the Athens Olympics in 2004. That would be the first of her nine Olympic medals.
It was unreal to train in the neighborhood, sprinting through the empty streets. She was lucky to finally get a chance to practice at her former school at a track named after her. It was a return to her roots as she approached the end of her brilliant career and she was overjoyed at the opportunity.
It was her resolute faith and rare talent that saw her take 6 Olympic god medals. She has 9 to her credit, second only to Carl Lewis’ 10. And she is tied with Merlene Ottey for the most medals by a female athlete.
She has also won 18 medals at the World Championships. She left her sponsor Nike when it was not supportive of her pregnancy.
