Allyson Felix, the most decorated track and field athlete in American history, is staging a comeback at the age of 40, just four years after announcing her retirement from the sport. Felix, who boasts 11 Olympic medals, stepped away from competitive athletics at the end of the 2022 season, following the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Return to the Track
The mother of two has now revealed her intention to return to competition, with her sights firmly set on the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. In an interview with Time magazine on Monday, Felix stated: 'Let's go after the thing. Let's be vulnerable.' She acknowledged the expectations of her age, saying, 'At this age, I should probably be staying home and taking care of my kids. But why not? Let's flip it on its head.'
Felix holds the record for the most Olympic medals by a female track athlete, with 11, and also holds a record 20 medals from World Championships. She expects to begin full-time training with her coach, Bobby Kersee, in October, with the goal of competing in 2027 before the Olympics in her hometown the following year.
Reflections on Age and Legacy
Felix is aware of the skepticism that often accompanies athletes who return late in their careers. 'I totally get the person who sticks around too long and you're like, "What are they doing?"' she said. 'I know, at 40, I am not at my peak. I have no illusions about that. I'm very clear in what it is and what I want to see. And so I hope it's seen that way.'
She is a seven-time Olympic champion, with six of her golds coming in relay events and her lone individual gold in the 200 meters at the 2012 London Games.
Advocate for Mother Athletes
Before retiring, Felix became a prominent advocate for athletes who are mothers and wish to continue their careers. She has two children: Camryn, seven, and Trey, two. Felix has spoken openly about the challenges she faced after an emergency C-section that endangered both her and her first child's lives; Camryn spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit after birth.
Felix cut ties with Nike in 2019, expressing dissatisfaction with how the company treated pregnant athletes. In a 2019 New York Times op-ed, she wrote: 'I asked Nike to contractually guarantee that I wouldn't be punished if I didn't perform at my best in the months surrounding childbirth. I wanted to set a new standard. If I, one of Nike's most widely marketed athletes, couldn't secure these protections, who could? Nike declined. We've been at a standstill ever since.' She described the pressure to return quickly, even when her body was not responding as it once did.
