When Allyson Felix became pregnant, Nike threatened to cut her endorsement by 70% and told her to “know your place and just run.” She then faced an emergency C-section at seven months, with her baby spending over a month in NICU. Felix dropped Nike, created her own running shoe brand Saysh One, and competed in her fifth Olympics under the banner “I Know My Place.” She now holds 11 medals—more than any American track athlete in history—protecting future mothers from training pregnant at 4:30am to hide from sponsors. RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.
Allyson Felix is one of the most decorated athletes in American history. But her greatest race wasn’t on the track—it was against corporate pressure, medical crisis, and systemic injustice.
In 2018, Felix became pregnant. At the time, she was sponsored by Nike, a brand she had represented for years. But when she asked for maternity protections in her contract, Nike responded with a proposed 70% pay cut and a dismissive message: “Know your place and just run.”
Felix refused.
At seven months pregnant, she underwent an emergency C-section due to severe preeclampsia. Her daughter spent weeks in the NICU, fighting for life. Felix, recovering from surgery and trauma, began training again—often at 4:30am, hiding her condition from sponsors who might penalize her for being a mother.
She didn’t just return to competition—she redefined it.
Felix left Nike and launched her own brand: Saysh, a running shoe company designed by and for women. She competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics wearing her own shoes, under the banner: “I Know My Place.”
She won her 11th Olympic medal, surpassing Carl Lewis to become the most decorated American track athlete in history.
But her legacy goes beyond medals. Felix became a champion for maternal rights, pushing for policy changes that protect pregnant athletes. Her advocacy led to Nike and other brands revising their maternity policies, ensuring that future athletes won’t have to choose between motherhood and their careers.
Her daughter, now healthy and thriving, wears a shirt that says: “MY MOM IS FASTER THAN YOUR MOM.”
And she’s right.
Because Allyson Felix didn’t just run fast—she ran fearlessly, fiercely, and for all of us.