Allyson Felix on maternity protection for sponsored athletes - BBC 100 Women, BBC World Service

With a record 20 World Championship medals and 11 Olympic medals to her name, Allyson Felix is the most decorated track and field athlete in history.

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A dangerous pregnancy and the death of a close friend turned her into a fierce advocate for better maternal healthcare for black women.

The retired athlete was behind the first nursery ever to open in an Olympic village, during the Paris 2024 games, and is now a member of the International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission.

BBC 100 Women sat down with Felix to talk about the challenges of combining motherhood and elite sport, and improving working conditions and safety for women athletes.

00:00 Introduction -a record-breaking athlete and entrepreneur
01:34 What drives Allyson Felix
03:25 The pressures of motherhood
04:23 Nike negotiations and fighting for better maternity rights
06:46 How to navigate a male-dominated sports industry
07:25 Felix, now a member of the IOC Athletes' Commission
09:46 Allyson’s advice for athletes considering motherhood
11:50 Rebecca Cheptegei and athletes’ safety
13:24 Maternal tights and the first-ever nursery at an Paris Olympic Games
14:50 Life-threatening pregnancy and racial bias in the healthcare system
17:08 Felix on abortion access in the US
18:37 Melinda French Gates’ grant to work on black maternal health
20:17 Her new endeavour – a sport management firm focused on women
21:52 Felix on resilience and what it means to her
22:32 Allyson’s student days at USC
22:58 The challenges of being a mother - her daughter
24:00 Raising a son to become a feminist

Presented by Divya Arya
Filmed by Debalin Roy, Iris Lee and Olivia Riportella
Produced by Lara Owen and Rebecca Thorn
Edited by Alvaro Alvarez and Sara Hegarty
Executive producer: Valeria Perasso
BBC 100 Women editor: Golnoosh Golshani
Executive editor: Claire Williams
Commissioning editor: Fiona Crack

The BBC 100 Women team produces documentaries and features that challenge the under-representation of women in media. If you want more women-centred stories, check out their specially curated playlist 👉🏽    • BBC 100 Women  

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