Rebel Girls Champions: 25 Tales of Unstoppable Athletes

Rebel Girls Champions: 25 Tales of Unstoppable Athletes — page 7
ALLYSON FELIX SPRINTER Once upon a time there was a girl who ran so fast she could outrace the wind Her name was Allyson She took up running in her freshman year of high school where some teammates called her Chicken Legs Her limbs may have been long and thin but they sure were powerful Soon she was sprinting all over the world Between the Athens Beijing London and Rio Olympic Games she won nine medals In 2018 Allyson decided to become a mother She was so excited But about eight months into her pregnancy she realized that something wasn't right Allyson had to have emergency surgery to deliver her daughter early This surgery saved both of their lives Allyson couldn't do much while she recovered She could barely walk for 30 minutes at a time She started thinking a lot about Black mothers They died in childbirth at a much higher rate than other women Allyson decided to speak out She told her story to members of the US Congress and asked them to act Allyson knew that words and actions mattered When a sponsor wanted to pay her less after she became a mom she acted She found a new sponsor Then she started her own sneaker company In 2021 Allyson went to Tokyo for her fifth Olympic Games With her fierce determination and strong stride she did it again She won two more medals in the 400 meter sprint and 400 meter relay It had been a challenging journey from pregnancy to the Olympic podium and from athletics to activism Standing next to her teammates draped in an American flag Allyson said I'm absolutely where I'm supposed to be BORN NOVEMBER 18 1985 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 8