Allyson Felix
Allyson Felix
Allyson Michelle Felixis an American track and field sprint athlete 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, and 2-time Olympic silver medalist. In 2015, she became World champion at 400 meters. She has won three additional Olympic gold medals as a member of the United States' women's relay teams; two at 4 x 400 metersand one as part of the 2012 world-record 4...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionRunner
Date of Birth18 November 1985
CityLos Angeles, CA
CountryUnited States of America
I've heard so many stories of young girls watching the Olympics and being inspired by it, and they want to do it now, and that's really cool.
Parents have to understand, that even if their child isn't showing athletic excellence in a certain sport, they still need to be involved. They don't need to be involved in a military type of setting, they just need to get out and play and enjoy themselves and find it themselves.
I never let track define me. That's something that's really important to me. That's what I do and it's what I love, but I think by having other things I'm passionate about and interested in, it helped me to come back. It helped me to have renewed love for the sport by being able to step away and then come back.
I know that they [Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Florence Griffith-Joyner and even Wilma Rudolph] have paved the way and they have been a source of inspiration.
The pressure is hard. You get - the world is only watching every four years, and I think lots of people feel like they have to win in that time frame.
I grew up in my mom's third grade classroom and always helping her, and I also got a passion for kids that way.
For me, there's a lot of expectations and you want to be able to live up to them.
I feel like my name completely does not belong on that list [of great athlets], but I'm completely grateful for everything that they [Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Florence Griffith-Joyner and even Wilma Rudolph] have done.
My faith inspires me so much. It is the very reason that I run. I feel that my running is completely a gift from God and it is my responsibility to use it to glorify him.
You know, I love wearing heels. I wish I could wear them all the time, but, you know, my sport doesn't really permit it.
When I was younger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee was a mentor to me and gave me great advice. The best was to 'work 100 percent, but enjoy every moment along the way.' Sometimes you get so in the zone, you forget to enjoy your passions. I love running—but I also love the movies, relaxing on the beach, shopping and spending time with my friends. Enjoying my life helps me enjoy my running.
And as long as I'm passionate about the sport, I'm able to do that and I'm happy, then I would love to do another Olympics. I'm just going to see how I'm feeling.
I grew up in a Christian home with amazing parents.
I think that kids aren't even exploring the option of sports anymore, and they don't even know what they could do.