Allyson Felix Inspiring Woman

Allyson Michelle Felix is an American track and field sprinter who competes in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters. At 200 meters, she is the 2012 Olympic champion, a 3-time World champion (2005–09), and 2-time Olympic silver medalist (2004–08). At 400 meters, she is the 2015 World champion, 2011 World silver medalist, 2016 Olympic silver medalist, and 2017 World bronze medalist.

Felix has won five additional Olympic gold medals as a member of the United States’ women’s relay teams: three at 4 × 400 meters (2008–16), and two at 4 x 100 meters (2012–16). The 2012 U.S. Olympic 4 x 100 meters team also set the women’s 4×100 meters world-record that still stands. Felix is the only female track and field athlete to ever win six Olympic gold medals, and is tied with Merlene Ottey as the most decorated female Olympian in track and field history, with a total of nine Olympic medals. Felix is also the most decorated athlete in IAAF World Championships history with 16 career medals.

Felix’s 200 meters best of 21.69 secs from 2012, ranks her sixth on the all-time list. In 2013, she broke the world best for the rarely contested 150 meters distance, running 16.36 secs. In the 4 × 400 meters relay at the 2015 World Championships, she ran the fastest split ever recorded by an American woman, and third fastest split ever after Jarmila Kratochvilova and Marita Koch, with 47.72. As a participant in the US Anti-Doping Agency’s “Project Believe” program, Felix is regularly tested for performance-enhancing drugs. She is coached by Bobby Kersee.

Felix is a five-time recipient of the Jesse Owens Award from USATF signifying the Athlete of the Year. She won the award for the first time in 2005, and then again in 2007, 2010 and 2012.She is only the second woman (after Marion Jones) to win the award three times. Felix also won the IAAF female athlete of the year in 2012.

Felix reduced her schedule in 2018. “In the 19 years that I’ve been running track, I’ve never taken a break,” the 32-year-old champion said. “Never had a year where I took it easy. … Now that this is kind of a year without a championship, I’ve had to force myself to have a different approach because my goal is 2020. … So, if you guys don’t see me at as many of the races as I usually run, don’t worry, I’m fine, I’m just challenging myself to be smarter.”

On November 28, 2018, Felix gave birth to her daughter Camryn, accompanied by her husband Kenneth.

Thank you Allyson Felix (#allysonfelix) for being an Inspiring Woman!