Allyson Michelle Felix was born on November 18, 1985 in LA. The daughter of an ordained minister and professor and an elementary school teacher, Allyson is a devout Christian. Felix considers her talent for running a gift from God. Her manager and brother, Wes, was also a sprinter, winning several championships and medals during his own track and field career. 

Felix began her sprinting career in her freshman year of high school. A few short weeks after her first tryout, she won five awards at the CIF California State Meet. She also credits much of her success to her high school coach, Jonathan Patton. By the age of 18, Felix finished with a silver medal in the 200m at the 2004 Summer Olympics, setting the World Junior Record.

Shortly thereafter, she became the youngest gold medal winner in the 200m at the World Championships in Helsinki. She defended her title two years later in Osaka. After Marita Koch, Felix became the second female athlete to win three gold medals at the Single IAAF World Championships in Athletics. 

Most people know the name Usain Bolt, but most people don’t know that Allyson Felix has actually accrued more medals in her sprinting career. Felix has won the following: 2012 Olympic gold medal for the 200m, three world championships, and five Olympic Gold medals as part of USA relays. She is not only the first, but the only female track star to win six gold medals.

Allyson served as a member of the President’s Council for fitness, sports, and nutrition. Additionally, she serves as a Right to Play ambassador, traveling with the organization to show the world how play can inspire children and change entire communities.

Felix participates in Project Believe, which is a voluntary drug-testing program. It protects clean athletes by testing beyond the standard drug test requirements. She also traveled to Rio in 2014 as the U.S. State Department Sports Diplomacy Ambassador. Over the course of her career as a track and field athlete, she has had several deals with large athletic apparel brands like Adidas, Nike and Athleta. 

In addition to her talent as a sprinter, Allyson Felix graduated with a degree in Elementary education, following in her mother’s footsteps. She attended college at the University of Southern California.

Allyson married hurdler and fellow sprinter, Kenneth Ferguson. Together, they have a daughter named Camryn. Felix will be competing in her fifth consecutive Olympics in Tokyo. This will be her first major race since becoming a mother and after a difficult pregnancy and birth. 

Allyson Felix is an Olympic Gold Medalist, graduate of USC, wife, mother, athletic ambassador, and inspiration to millions around the world. Next summer, the world will watch as she competes on one of the world’s largest stages.

Sources:

Team USA

USA Track & Field

Olympic Channel

 Kassidy Garland has had a great appreciation for reading and writing since she was young. She graduated from West Chester University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English & Women and Gender Studies. With a concentration in creative writing, Kassidy has 5 years of experience writing blogs, articles, and for social media. Based out of Philadelphia, Kassidy loves to write about a number of topics and looks forward to sharing her passion with those at FunTimes Magazine.