December 26, 2025 • 31 mins
We're revisiting some of our favorite interviews of 2025, starting with a conversation with Allyson Felix. The retired track star and mother-of-two spoke with Sarah over the summer about her legendary career and the joys and challenges of juggling parenthood and multiple business endeavors. They discussed her new management company Always Alpha, her new documentary "She Runs The World," and her longtime advocacy on behalf of women and mothers, from calling out Nike's pregnancy policies to pushing for the first-ever nursery in an Olympic Village.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're sleeping
in after a late night of hot cocoa and cookies.
Wake us up in a few hours to play with
our new toys. It's Friday, December twenty sixth. We hope
all those who celebrate had a wonderful Christmas. Today we're
running back one of my favorite interviews from twenty twenty five.
My conversation with retired track and field got Alison Felix
from the summer. We talked about her legendary career and
(00:23):
the joys and challenges of juggling parenthood and multiple business endeavors,
plus her management company Always Alpha, her documentary She Runs
the World, and her longtime advocacy on behalf of women
and mothers, from calling out Nike's pregnancy policies to pushing
for the first ever nursery in an Olympic village. Allison
was on my shortlist of guests since day one of
this show, and she didn't disappoint.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Our conversation is coming up right after the break, joining
us now.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
She's the most decorated athlete in track and field history,
with the combined Olympic and World championship total of thirty
one medals, and the most decorated American track and field
athlete in Olympic history, having earned eleven total medals from
five consecutive Olympic Games, and the most decorated athlete in
World Athletics Championships history with twenty career medals. Her bravery
and calling out Nike's discriminatory policies against athlete mothers helped
(01:20):
change standards across the sports world and inspired her to
launch her own footwear company, saysh in June twenty twenty one,
a Time magazine one hundred Most Influential People honore in
twenty twenty and twenty twenty one, number sixty three on
ESPN's twenty twenty four list of the one hundred Greatest
Athletes of the twenty first century. She recently launched Always Alpha,
a talent management firm fully focused on women's sports, and
(01:41):
she'll be in the twenty twenty five class of the
US Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame this summer. It's
Alison Felix. Hi, Alison, Hi.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Thank you for that intro. That was so nice.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Well, I want to know when you hear all that,
what do you feel can you even grasp the enormity
of it all.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
I think it's so weird because it's like, I never
really set up to do any of those things.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
You know.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
It was just a girl who loved to run.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
So it's weird now to be like on the other
end of it and see, you know what I've been
able to do my career, but just grateful for for.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
The whole you know, the whole journey.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
I feel like when you look back at that little
girl that just wanted to run, if you tried to
pinpoint just one, maybe two qualities that most contributed to
your success on the track, what would they be.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
I think the one I would probably go back to
is just a determination that was different and just all things.
I think I was very just persistent, and you know,
I wouldn't let things go and I really enjoyed like
getting better at something and not being deterred by failure or.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
You know, whatever the thing is. So I think that
really pushed persistent.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah, and that's necessary in track As a track and
field runner in college myself, people would always basically tell us,
your practice is our punishment. Being willing to just punish
yourself over and over again. For the love of the sport.
Is it requires a special sort of something.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
It's a pretty crazy thing, you know. It is.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
It's like when you're talking about hundreds of a second
and you know, like what little you know biomechanics can
you change And you definitely have to love it and
you have to be in it for the long run.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Well, I've wanted to talk to you for literally years now,
so I'm so grateful to have you join us to
talk about life beyond track, beyond parenting and becoming this
new woman after your retirement. You just premiered your documentary,
She Runs the World, at Tribeca.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Tell us about the film.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
The film is really great.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
It goes over my career and my journey. It talks
about the fight from internal protections. It also dives into
the maternal health crisis that women of color are facing
here in America. So yeah, it kind of touches a
lot of passions of my heart. But yeah, I'm excited
that it's like out there and it was something very different,
(04:04):
you know, and I think it, you know, it really
pushed on that level of being vulnerable and really kind
of sharing more than most people really know.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Well, you've been in the public spotlight forever.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
But most of the time when people are watching you,
it's either an interview or you're running. How different was
it to watch yourself in moments of being just like
a human or just being a parent, being a sister,
being a wife.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Yeah, it was so different, you know. I think just
even the process of you know, following me for a
couple of years and going into some of those like
really personal moments and sharing that, and then when I
you know, saw the film in its.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Entirety, I really got it.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
And also just like audience reaction of how much of
my journey is just resonates with people, because you know,
we all go through things, and we've all been through,
you know, difficulties, and so I think for me, it's
so much bigger than myself. I hope that this is
a film that other women see themselves, and I think
(05:06):
it also has a message that to change things that
really takes a collective effort.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
I'm sure so many people will learn a lot from
the film and even feel inspired by feeling connected and
relatable to someone as successful as you. Even you have
your own struggles, but I wonder what you learned about
yourself from making or watching it because I have a
random example, but I remember my wedding taught me that
(05:31):
I don't like to be looked at unless I can talk.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
I like being on stage.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
I love performing. I love a crowd and an audience.
I love attention. Except when I was just walking down
an aisle, I couldn't crack a joke. I just had
people looking at me, and I was like, I guess
this is the best I'm supposed to look. I'm trying
my heart, you know what I mean. Like I realized
that I have a thing with that. I like to
be able to make a joke in moments like that,
(05:56):
and I couldn't. Did you find anything that surprised you
about yourself during the process.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
I think maybe something I knew, but I think it
was just emphasized in the whole process and seeing the film,
was that I don't really like to be the center
of attention, you know, I don't really like all eyes
on me. And that felt a bit odd, you know,
especially because you know the whole film, like, you know,
sitting there and seeing kind of the ins and outs
(06:23):
of the journey away from you.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Know, the field of play, all of those moments, it.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Was like Okay, it's probably not my favorite thing, but
I think the motivation behind it was definitely like, Okay,
this can have impact, and you know a lot of
other people go through these same things, and that really
kind of pushed me forward.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
The filmmakers who made the movie went to your parents'
house to see what kind of footage they could get
of the early years, and your dad came out with
boxes and boxes and boxes, four hundred hours of home videos.
Looking at your younger self, maybe seeing videos you'd never
seen before.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
What stood out to you?
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Yeah, I mean it's that's wild still, Like I guess
he was definitely before his time, like all that was
cam horder, but it just the joy, you know, of
childhood and just like being with my brother and you know,
playing in the backyard. I think that was that was
what was really cool to see, was just growing and
(07:21):
having fun and having no idea about sports or anything
like that, but just the foundation of being with my
family and so many of those lessons that I feel
like now are monumental I come back to all the time.
But I think it was in those years that my
parents really you know, taught me some of those really
important things.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
And it's got to be kind of wild seeing yourself
very young, when you have young kids of your own,
that considering what your parents were teaching you or guiding you,
or what's saying to you, and what you might be
repeating or doing the same.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Yeah, I mean I just seeing myself at that age,
I saw so much of my daughter Cammi. I was like,
oh my gosh, yeah, okay, we kind of have the
same face all the things, So that was fun.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
And for her to see that as well.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
And the relationship with my brother Wes and I and
then Cammy and my son Trey, I saw so much
of that, like him trying to entertain me and her
trying to entertain him.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
So those kind of things were fun. Also.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Yeah, you also started Always Alpha. It's been around less
than a year. What inspired you to launch your own
management firm?
Speaker 4 (08:22):
It was really the thought of legacy, and I remember
having a conversation with my brother around I feel like
I've learned so much and have had so much experience,
almost like I wish I could do it again with
all this knowledge, and obviously not being able to do that.
I think the next best thing was saying I want
to pass this on to you know other women who
(08:44):
are at the peaks of their career and I feel
like this could really be helpful. So that was really
the idea behind it. And also just seeing you know,
the momentum of women's sports and feeling like, you know,
women's sports marketing hasn't really existed and there hasn't been
this sole focus on marketing women in a different way,
(09:04):
and I think that opportunity to do things a bit
differently really excited us.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, what's been of the most exciting part.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
I think just working with amazing clients and we have athletes,
we have coaches, broadcasters, and just yeah, interacting with them
and hearing about things that they're passionate about on the
field of play and off. I think, you know, oftentimes
when you're at the height of your career, you're you're
really thinking about, you know, the records and all of
(09:35):
those things. But I think, you know, most people have
aspirations beyond that, and so to hear that early on
and to say like, okay, like how can we put
together a plan that includes that as well, so that
you can really be your full self. I've really enjoyed,
you know, hearing all of those aspirations.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
And that's really nice for the person involved who does
need to focus on the task at hand, but knows
that they're not ignoring the future or putting aside something
that does need to get built over the course of time.
They just have other people to help them do it
and start looking out for opportunities, which is great.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
What's been the biggest challenge? This is a whole new
thing for you.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Yeah, I think being on the other side of it,
you know, I think I've been used to you know,
when you're an athlete, you're in control of everything, and
you know it's really everything is on you. It's refreshing
to have a team and to get to collaborate and
work together. But I think also, you know, just releasing
that control sometimes is feels uncomfortable, but it's also I'm
(10:34):
trying to just welcome it more. And then just the landscape,
you know, we're really trying to do things differently, and
so working with brands that probably haven't focused on women's
sports before and trying to like educate them and teach
them and get them in the space. You know, we're
always going to be pushing forward in that sense.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
We're going to take a quick break when we come
back more with Alison Felix. You have been pushing for
yourself and others for quite some time. Notably, in May
of twenty nineteen, you penned an op ed for The
New York Times accusing your longtime sponsor, Nike of refusing
(11:13):
to guarantee salary protections for female athletes in the months
following their pregnancy. You were a star for Nike at
the time, but you also wanted to consider a family,
and you were seeing not only cuts in the contract offer,
but no guarantees for what would happen after you came back.
So can you take us through the process and the
(11:34):
feelings that you had leading up to that actually publishing
fear anger otherwise?
Speaker 3 (11:40):
I was terrified. I think that was the biggest emotion.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
You know, for the longest, I really wanted to like
fit in that perfect image and you know, head down,
do the work.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Like I'm an athlete. I'm just supposed to, you know,
stay in my lane.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
And I had done that really well for a long time,
and it wasn't until I was faced with this situation
that that shook everything up. And I think also just
becoming a mother, the mother to a daughter, really was
like Okay, it's.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
On me to do something about this.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
And so I think there was the feelings everything from
rage that I'm even asking and pushing for this, to
feeling empowered to say I want to do something different
and I'm going to speak up about this because it's
been happening for far too long. So it was really scary,
but really grateful that I was supported in my own family,
(12:33):
with my friends and a lot of other athletes who
had been through something similar and who were under NDA's
and felt like, you know, I had people standing behind.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Me, tell me more about why your daughter sort of
gave you that last little shove.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
I remember, you know, really going back and forth of like, okay,
is this something I'm going to do?
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Like am I not going to put my name on this?
Speaker 4 (12:56):
And vividly there was this moment, you know, I had
a difficult birth experience. She came two months early, and
I'm sitting in her nursery and just really you know,
contemplating this, and I think in those moments when she
was home from the nick, you just seeing how she
fought and then thinking about her growing up and the
(13:17):
fight that I was taking on. It was like, there's
no way that you and your generation are.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Going to take this fight on.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
At the time, I didn't know if anything was going
to come of it, but I just felt deeply called
to speak up, like I had a responsibility now as
a mother, and that's something I hadn't felt before.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
You know, I think it just it was a game
changer for me.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
You know, I think a lot of women say that
that it sort of changes the perspective of who's first,
and who comes first, and what's more important. And you
quite literally recognize that this was about your fight, but
also changing the game for everyone that came after you.
And I think it's also hard to read you talking
about your relationship with Nike at that time and the
(14:00):
way they communicated to you what you meant to them,
and always using the phrasing we're a family. Yeah, And
you felt like, my family is telling me that I
want to make this personal choice and they won't support
me in it, that they might not be there for
me when I come back, and that I have to
hit certain times and goals in order for them to
still treat me as a member of their family. What
(14:20):
an interesting dichotomy to be creating an actual family and
find out at the same time that these promises made
to you were not true. And I think a lot
of us go through the naivete of loyalty to something.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
That we assume is reciprocal.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
And when people tell you you're just a number, you're just
a cog in the wheel or whatever it is, you
don't want to believe it because you put so much
time and effort and energy into it.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
So when you do find out that that was true,
what's that emotion.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
For you as you started to for the very first
time realize that Nike wasn't going to do right by you.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
It was just like a gut punch, because it is.
And it was a great lesson to learn that. So often,
I think we do preach family in companies, and I
think we talk about it a lot, and for me,
it was a lesson even in creating my own company,
that it's not a family because there is a business
aspect to it. And I think it's when you're an
(15:14):
athlete and you're going on this journey and you have
these supporters who are feeling like family, and you're going
above and beyond and you're giving everything you have to this.
It's a weird thing, you know, And so when I
realized that, and you know, the veil was lifted and
it's like, oh no, this is not family at all.
It was hard, you know, it was hard to process
(15:37):
that and understand at the same time, you know, starting
a family and.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
All of those things.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
But I just realized, you know, at the end of
the day, it is about you know, the numbers on
the paper and the bottom line and all of that.
But it was it was difficult in the in the
process of it.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
There is a freedom to learning that, and there also
is an opportunity for a sparkle of ingenuity because I
feel like a lot of women figure out that the
system isn't built for us and then change it. And
it happens maybe less often with men because they're very
much served by the system that we're currently in. I
(16:15):
think about Abi Wombach talks about in her book, you know,
when they say if there's not a seat at the table,
pull up a chair, she says, screw pulling up a chair,
build a new table. If you're not going to have
a seat for me at the table that exists, I
don't want to pull up a chair. I'm going to
just create my own table. And it feels like, that's
very much what you did in speaking out. And at
the same time, that very same month of May twenty nineteen,
(16:37):
you testified before the US House Committee on Ways and
Means on the Black maternal mortality crisis. You mentioned that
your daughter's birth was difficult. You had preeclampsia while pregnant,
and then you had to have an emergency c section.
You not only are fighting with your sponsor for the
treatment that you deserve, but now you're fighting on behalf
of other mothers. Why did that experience with your daughter,
(16:58):
Instead of wanting to stay at home and cocoon and
just care for her, why were you so ready to
get out and fight.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
I think once I had wrote that op ed and
it came out, and I saw the response, and I
saw Nike other companies change their policy, I think for
the first time I understood what speaking out had the
power to do. And when you are vulnerable and when
you share that sometimes it can change things. And so
(17:28):
when I was going through the complicated birth of my daughter,
and I just I felt like my eyes were open
to a whole new world. I did not know the
enormity of the crisis that women were facing, and so
it was kind of that same feeling like if I
can do something about this, even if it's just raise awareness,
then I sign me up, like I want to be
(17:49):
on board with that. And so that was kind of
I remember leaving the hospital after a month of her
being there and us leaving as a family, and just
feeling so much gratitude because I learned of so many
stories where that's just not the case. And so that
was the push to say, yeah, I'm happy to testify.
It's not something I probably would have wanted to do
(18:11):
in my past and such a private person, but if
this has the potential to change the path forward, or
you know, if someone learns about signs of pre acclamsia,
you know, through this process, then it's absolutely worth it.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
You led me to my next question, which is you
start out by saying you don't love to be the
center of attention, and yet in all these moments you
are saying, I have the voice and the agency to
do something about this, So it's on me to say something.
What's your advice for folks listening who may think that
they're not built for that kind of fight, or can't
(18:46):
imagine walking into a room to testify or speaking out
against a boss or something like that. Did you have
to psych yourself up in the mirror? Did you have
to write down mantras? Did you have to eat a
certain kind of breakfast? I feel like real strong, Like,
what did you do to get yourself feeling ready for that?
Speaker 4 (19:02):
If that's not natural for you, I would say definitely
been exactly there in those shoes, And I never got
to this place where I was like I'm ready. You know,
there was never this feeling of confidence of like, Okay,
I'm gonna do this.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Like I was scared up to the very moments.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
That I press send on the op ed that until
I walked and you know, to the Ways and Means Committee,
Like it never went away. So I think this illusion
that you have to feel so courageous and so powerful
and ready for the moment, it's not the case. I'll
never forget. When I was going through all this, my
brother West said, you know, you can use your voice
(19:41):
even if it shakes, and I just kind of kept
repeating that because it's like I'm never gonna I'm never
gonna be that person that is like, you know, shouting
from the rooftops and so confident like in moments like this,
but that's okay, Like you can still move forward through
the fear, through the uncertainty, through all of that. And
so that's what I would say, And also that you
(20:03):
don't have to do it on the biggest stage. You know,
we can all hold people accountable in our own circles.
We can have conversations. So I think also don't think
you have to have a big platform, you know, to
bring about change. I think we can all really bloom.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
We're exactly where we're planted.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
I love that quote from your brother, and I love
the relationship you two have. Can you talk about what
it's been like to have your brother sort of managing
your career and now embarking on a number of your
other endeavors together.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
It's so much fun. I think people always just like,
what is it like to like work with a sibling and.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
I because we're all picturing our sibling that we fight
with all the time and that we can't imagine having
to coordinate with, and then you two are out there
just crushing it.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
I mean we've always had a special relationship since our
younger I mean we definitely did all the fighting also,
but then I don't know we I think it was
around middle school. We were at an school and I
think something clicked where it was like, oh my gosh,
we can be friends. And we've kind of been just
like really thick of sieves since then. And it's so
(21:09):
cool to be able to build with someone that you
love and that you trust one hundred percent. And I
think our strengths and weaknesses are opposite, and so we
have a really great dynamic together and.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
We've been doing it for a really long time now, so.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
I think we're very secure in both of our roles
and it's really a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Also, biggest fight you've ever gotten in.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
I don't even remember anything as an adult.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
I mean I remember just like wrestling with him as
a kid, and he could never my parents never let him.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Like wrestle back with me, and I just took full
advantage of that. So my mind.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
Immediately goes to like those those years where I was
just yeah, having my way.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
But nothing as adults. That's remarkable considering the stakes of
the work you're in.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Yeah, nothing, nothing.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
I mean, we have good, honest, hard conversations all the time,
but I never leave those feeling like we are at
odds because we're on the same team, like, you know,
we want the same things and the end goal, and
so I think it's great that we can push each other,
but it never it never spills over into our brother
(22:19):
sister relationship.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
So in addition to all of that advocacy, you also
were the driving force behind the Olympic Villages first ever nursery.
You were part of a twenty seventeen Today show Pink
Power Today campaign you surprised a fan with breast cancer.
Then You've fought all these battles over and over for
yourself and for others, and I wonder what you've learned
from those battles.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
I think the biggest thing is that you can create change.
And I think for the longest, I don't know when
I thought about doing things differently or you know, a
system that wasn't built for you. To me, I was like, well,
that's not my fight, Like that's gonna that's so big,
it's like so ambitious, you know, I how could just
me have any role in that? And I think what
(23:04):
I've seen is just there's power in the collective and
we all have to do our part. And it may
seem like it's really far off, or it may seem
like this one little thing is not going to matter.
And I think what I've learned is like every little
thing matters. You know, we all need to do, you know,
what we can, and sometimes you know that change is
going to come fast and sometimes you know maybe we
(23:24):
won't even be here to benefit from it. But it's
never about you. I think that's the biggest thing. Another
thing that I've taken away is I think oftentimes when
you're trying to change something, it might start with your
scenario and you know what you've been through and that's
the motivation, but it's going to be somebody else. You know,
things are going to change when somebody else you know
(23:45):
is able to benefit, and that's you have to be
okay with that. That's the reward, is like, Okay, things
down the line are going to be different.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Yeah, it does feel like sometimes you can feel worthy
in the most degrading and terrible moments if you choose
to take control of them and try to change them
going forward, even if it won't benefit you, because then
at least something comes out of it. It's so deflating
to just be mistreated or not given the right resources,
or not invested in or any number of things and
(24:14):
not feel like there's anything you can do about it,
at least in your own small way, in your.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Community, or in your own big way, like you have.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Trying to do something about it so the next person
doesn't face it feels like a stronger conviction even than
fixing it for yourself completely.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Yeah, it's like taking ownership of that and saying, yeah,
I'm going to flip this around and it's going to
be better for the next person.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Well.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
And so much of your advice, of course applies to
the battles you've taken on, but also just like current times,
everything is so overwhelming and terrifying and awful and inhumane,
and each of us individually, I think, can feel very
trapped in that. But remembering that the battles want at
the lower levels, whether that's which judges are voted in
(24:57):
or which community systems and policies are in effect, and
how that impacts the daily lives of the people around us,
can still be something in our control, even if the
decisions made at the very highest levels can't. And so
I love your advice to folks that they don't have
to First of all, they can use their voice even
if it shakes. And secondly, it doesn't have to be
at the House Committee, it can just be in their
(25:18):
own neighborhood.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
We got to take another quick break.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
The conclusion of my conversation with Alison is right after this,
You've made such a name for yourself now as an
advocate for moms.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
I wonder do you ever feel pigeonholed.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
At one point you were, Oh, she's an athlete, so
we don't expect anything from her except her run fast.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
And now, well she's retired.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Now she's a mom, so we're just going to talk
to her about all mom stuff all the time. Do
you try to get people to see that you contain
multitudes and your multifaceted and you want to have all
sorts of things going on, or do you now feel
like you're the mom?
Speaker 4 (25:58):
I definitely don't want to just be them, you know.
I think there's so many things that I'm passionate about,
and I think having moved away from the competition of
it all, I think there's been more time to explore
those things, and so yeah, I definitely want to dabble
in all of the areas and show that, you know,
I am multifaceted, and I do there is so much
(26:20):
more to me, and even when I think about the
work that I do at always Alpha, I want that
for our athletes as well, because I think you have
to really start that early, and I think there's no
better time than now. And we're seeing you know, just
rich stories, you know, off of the field of play,
other interests and passions, and every person is like that,
(26:42):
and so I think we, you know, we have to
lean more into the holistic version than just yeah, putting
people in boxes.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
You had a legendary track and field career, nothing left
to win, nothing left to prove, But that doesn't mean
it's easy to walk away and find new passions and purpose.
This is what was the predominant emotion for you in
the days after officially retiring and knowing you wouldn't be
competing again.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
I think there was a lot of grief.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
I had a lot of gratitude for my career because
it was incredible. I felt like, you know, not everybody
gets to end on their own terms and all of
those things, so so much gratitude, but I think I
had to grieve it. It was like, you know, this
thing that I've loved for so long I've been able
to do and pour myself into and then one day
(27:33):
it's just over, and I think there's this weird thing
because it goes on without you, and you know, now
you're on the outside like looking at it, and all
of those things are challenging as you find your new path.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
But I think it was like giving myself space to.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
Say, like, yeah, I feel sad that this is over,
and you know, I'm gonna miss it and I'm finding
my new way, but my feelings are valid, and yeah,
leaving room for that.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Are you competing at everything else?
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Now? Board games starts hopscotch, Like can you shut it
off or not?
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Really?
Speaker 4 (28:05):
I think it's who I am. I've definitely tried to
find like new things. You know, I'm trying to like
not always be on a track somewhere, but like started
learning tennis and just in areas that like I have
no business being competitive in. So it's like very humbling,
but yeah, it's it's in me.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
It's probably really good for you to be the very
best for a very long time and then start something
new and be like, oh this is streaky.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
It's so humbling, Like it's like nothing has transferred that's.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Funny, you know what, It's really good though.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
I read a whole book about how as adults we
are so used to being proficient that we stop trying
new things because it's uncomfortable to be bad at things,
and that the gift in that is so worthy of
the frustration or the awkwardness that you have. And oftentimes
people get really stagnant because they're not willing to try
new things, and there might be something that they would
love and they never discover it because they're too embarrassed
(28:59):
to try.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
So I love that you're out there.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
I'm out there trying swinging away. Yeah, definitely, I did.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
I did see you, though I didn't get to go
to a sport beach this year, which I'm very bummed about.
I was watching obsessively from Afar, but I saw a
little video of you and Can just a couple of
days ago. Everyone else probably drinking and apparel, sprints by
the beach, noshing on some snacks on that great patio
at the Carlton Hotel. You were running sprints uphill during
(29:28):
a very brief forty eight hour trip to France. When
do you relax and when do you stop?
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Ever?
Speaker 4 (29:35):
You know, I see a good heal and I just
feel like it needs to be run like this. Oh
I don't know, it's ingrained to me. And then also
you know you gotta you gotta get it in where
you can. The travel schedule's crazy, and it's like, Okay,
this is a great this is my this is the
workout area that I have I'm gonna do and it's
it's so fun.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
I actually have to admit, before my body completely fell
apart and my spine turned to dust because of an
achilles tear and everything else, I used to go to
a park and do wind sprints. I used to go
do my hurdle drills and stadium stairs. I loved that
feeling of like pushing myself to exhaust and just like
when I was practicing for something.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
So I don't blame you that you're still at it.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
There's nothing like it.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
I hope your body holds up forever and you can
do that forever, because there's just so much joy in that.
All right, last question for you, if you look beyond
the track and beyond the parenting at Alison Felix, what
will you find.
Speaker 4 (30:31):
I think just a person who cares for other people,
who loves family and friends and just wants to do
something meaningful in the world.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
Pretty simple, So far.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
So good. We're excited to see what happens next.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Thanks so much for the time, Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Good Game With Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. Find
us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are alex Azzie
Grace Lynch, Taylor Williamson, and Lucy Jones. Our executive producers
are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rutterer.
Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez and Gianna Palmer.
Production assistants from Avery Loftus and I'm Your Host Sarah
Spain
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're sleeping
in after a late night of hot cocoa and cookies.
Wake us up in a few hours to play with
our new toys. It's Friday, December twenty sixth. We hope
all those who celebrate had a wonderful Christmas. Today we're
running back one of my favorite interviews from twenty twenty five.
My conversation with retired track and field got Alison Felix
from the summer. We talked about her legendary career and
(00:23):
the joys and challenges of juggling parenthood and multiple business endeavors,
plus her management company Always Alpha, her documentary She Runs
the World, and her longtime advocacy on behalf of women
and mothers, from calling out Nike's pregnancy policies to pushing
for the first ever nursery in an Olympic village. Allison
was on my shortlist of guests since day one of
this show, and she didn't disappoint.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Our conversation is coming up right after the break, joining
us now.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
She's the most decorated athlete in track and field history,
with the combined Olympic and World championship total of thirty
one medals, and the most decorated American track and field
athlete in Olympic history, having earned eleven total medals from
five consecutive Olympic Games, and the most decorated athlete in
World Athletics Championships history with twenty career medals. Her bravery
and calling out Nike's discriminatory policies against athlete mothers helped
(01:20):
change standards across the sports world and inspired her to
launch her own footwear company, saysh in June twenty twenty one,
a Time magazine one hundred Most Influential People honore in
twenty twenty and twenty twenty one, number sixty three on
ESPN's twenty twenty four list of the one hundred Greatest
Athletes of the twenty first century. She recently launched Always Alpha,
a talent management firm fully focused on women's sports, and
(01:41):
she'll be in the twenty twenty five class of the
US Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame this summer. It's
Alison Felix. Hi, Alison, Hi.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Thank you for that intro. That was so nice.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Well, I want to know when you hear all that,
what do you feel can you even grasp the enormity
of it all.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
I think it's so weird because it's like, I never
really set up to do any of those things.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
You know.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
It was just a girl who loved to run.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
So it's weird now to be like on the other
end of it and see, you know what I've been
able to do my career, but just grateful for for.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
The whole you know, the whole journey.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
I feel like when you look back at that little
girl that just wanted to run, if you tried to
pinpoint just one, maybe two qualities that most contributed to
your success on the track, what would they be.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
I think the one I would probably go back to
is just a determination that was different and just all things.
I think I was very just persistent, and you know,
I wouldn't let things go and I really enjoyed like
getting better at something and not being deterred by failure or.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
You know, whatever the thing is. So I think that
really pushed persistent.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah, and that's necessary in track As a track and
field runner in college myself, people would always basically tell us,
your practice is our punishment. Being willing to just punish
yourself over and over again. For the love of the sport.
Is it requires a special sort of something.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
It's a pretty crazy thing, you know. It is.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
It's like when you're talking about hundreds of a second
and you know, like what little you know biomechanics can
you change And you definitely have to love it and
you have to be in it for the long run.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Well, I've wanted to talk to you for literally years now,
so I'm so grateful to have you join us to
talk about life beyond track, beyond parenting and becoming this
new woman after your retirement. You just premiered your documentary,
She Runs the World, at Tribeca.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Tell us about the film.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
The film is really great.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
It goes over my career and my journey. It talks
about the fight from internal protections. It also dives into
the maternal health crisis that women of color are facing
here in America. So yeah, it kind of touches a
lot of passions of my heart. But yeah, I'm excited
that it's like out there and it was something very different,
(04:04):
you know, and I think it, you know, it really
pushed on that level of being vulnerable and really kind
of sharing more than most people really know.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Well, you've been in the public spotlight forever.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
But most of the time when people are watching you,
it's either an interview or you're running. How different was
it to watch yourself in moments of being just like
a human or just being a parent, being a sister,
being a wife.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Yeah, it was so different, you know. I think just
even the process of you know, following me for a
couple of years and going into some of those like
really personal moments and sharing that, and then when I
you know, saw the film in its.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Entirety, I really got it.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
And also just like audience reaction of how much of
my journey is just resonates with people, because you know,
we all go through things, and we've all been through,
you know, difficulties, and so I think for me, it's
so much bigger than myself. I hope that this is
a film that other women see themselves, and I think
(05:06):
it also has a message that to change things that
really takes a collective effort.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
I'm sure so many people will learn a lot from
the film and even feel inspired by feeling connected and
relatable to someone as successful as you. Even you have
your own struggles, but I wonder what you learned about
yourself from making or watching it because I have a
random example, but I remember my wedding taught me that
(05:31):
I don't like to be looked at unless I can talk.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
I like being on stage.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
I love performing. I love a crowd and an audience.
I love attention. Except when I was just walking down
an aisle, I couldn't crack a joke. I just had
people looking at me, and I was like, I guess
this is the best I'm supposed to look. I'm trying
my heart, you know what I mean. Like I realized
that I have a thing with that. I like to
be able to make a joke in moments like that,
(05:56):
and I couldn't. Did you find anything that surprised you
about yourself during the process.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
I think maybe something I knew, but I think it
was just emphasized in the whole process and seeing the film,
was that I don't really like to be the center
of attention, you know, I don't really like all eyes
on me. And that felt a bit odd, you know,
especially because you know the whole film, like, you know,
sitting there and seeing kind of the ins and outs
(06:23):
of the journey away from you.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Know, the field of play, all of those moments, it.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Was like Okay, it's probably not my favorite thing, but
I think the motivation behind it was definitely like, Okay,
this can have impact, and you know a lot of
other people go through these same things, and that really
kind of pushed me forward.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
The filmmakers who made the movie went to your parents'
house to see what kind of footage they could get
of the early years, and your dad came out with
boxes and boxes and boxes, four hundred hours of home videos.
Looking at your younger self, maybe seeing videos you'd never
seen before.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
What stood out to you?
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Yeah, I mean it's that's wild still, Like I guess
he was definitely before his time, like all that was
cam horder, but it just the joy, you know, of
childhood and just like being with my brother and you know,
playing in the backyard. I think that was that was
what was really cool to see, was just growing and
(07:21):
having fun and having no idea about sports or anything
like that, but just the foundation of being with my
family and so many of those lessons that I feel
like now are monumental I come back to all the time.
But I think it was in those years that my
parents really you know, taught me some of those really
important things.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
And it's got to be kind of wild seeing yourself
very young, when you have young kids of your own,
that considering what your parents were teaching you or guiding you,
or what's saying to you, and what you might be
repeating or doing the same.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Yeah, I mean I just seeing myself at that age,
I saw so much of my daughter Cammi. I was like,
oh my gosh, yeah, okay, we kind of have the
same face all the things, So that was fun.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
And for her to see that as well.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
And the relationship with my brother Wes and I and
then Cammy and my son Trey, I saw so much
of that, like him trying to entertain me and her
trying to entertain him.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
So those kind of things were fun. Also.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Yeah, you also started Always Alpha. It's been around less
than a year. What inspired you to launch your own
management firm?
Speaker 4 (08:22):
It was really the thought of legacy, and I remember
having a conversation with my brother around I feel like
I've learned so much and have had so much experience,
almost like I wish I could do it again with
all this knowledge, and obviously not being able to do that.
I think the next best thing was saying I want
to pass this on to you know other women who
(08:44):
are at the peaks of their career and I feel
like this could really be helpful. So that was really
the idea behind it. And also just seeing you know,
the momentum of women's sports and feeling like, you know,
women's sports marketing hasn't really existed and there hasn't been
this sole focus on marketing women in a different way,
(09:04):
and I think that opportunity to do things a bit
differently really excited us.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, what's been of the most exciting part.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
I think just working with amazing clients and we have athletes,
we have coaches, broadcasters, and just yeah, interacting with them
and hearing about things that they're passionate about on the
field of play and off. I think, you know, oftentimes
when you're at the height of your career, you're you're
really thinking about, you know, the records and all of
(09:35):
those things. But I think, you know, most people have
aspirations beyond that, and so to hear that early on
and to say like, okay, like how can we put
together a plan that includes that as well, so that
you can really be your full self. I've really enjoyed,
you know, hearing all of those aspirations.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
And that's really nice for the person involved who does
need to focus on the task at hand, but knows
that they're not ignoring the future or putting aside something
that does need to get built over the course of time.
They just have other people to help them do it
and start looking out for opportunities, which is great.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
What's been the biggest challenge? This is a whole new
thing for you.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Yeah, I think being on the other side of it,
you know, I think I've been used to you know,
when you're an athlete, you're in control of everything, and
you know it's really everything is on you. It's refreshing
to have a team and to get to collaborate and
work together. But I think also, you know, just releasing
that control sometimes is feels uncomfortable, but it's also I'm
(10:34):
trying to just welcome it more. And then just the landscape,
you know, we're really trying to do things differently, and
so working with brands that probably haven't focused on women's
sports before and trying to like educate them and teach
them and get them in the space. You know, we're
always going to be pushing forward in that sense.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
We're going to take a quick break when we come
back more with Alison Felix. You have been pushing for
yourself and others for quite some time. Notably, in May
of twenty nineteen, you penned an op ed for The
New York Times accusing your longtime sponsor, Nike of refusing
(11:13):
to guarantee salary protections for female athletes in the months
following their pregnancy. You were a star for Nike at
the time, but you also wanted to consider a family,
and you were seeing not only cuts in the contract offer,
but no guarantees for what would happen after you came back.
So can you take us through the process and the
(11:34):
feelings that you had leading up to that actually publishing
fear anger otherwise?
Speaker 3 (11:40):
I was terrified. I think that was the biggest emotion.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
You know, for the longest, I really wanted to like
fit in that perfect image and you know, head down,
do the work.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Like I'm an athlete. I'm just supposed to, you know,
stay in my lane.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
And I had done that really well for a long time,
and it wasn't until I was faced with this situation
that that shook everything up. And I think also just
becoming a mother, the mother to a daughter, really was
like Okay, it's.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
On me to do something about this.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
And so I think there was the feelings everything from
rage that I'm even asking and pushing for this, to
feeling empowered to say I want to do something different
and I'm going to speak up about this because it's
been happening for far too long. So it was really scary,
but really grateful that I was supported in my own family,
(12:33):
with my friends and a lot of other athletes who
had been through something similar and who were under NDA's
and felt like, you know, I had people standing behind.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Me, tell me more about why your daughter sort of
gave you that last little shove.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
I remember, you know, really going back and forth of like, okay,
is this something I'm going to do?
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Like am I not going to put my name on this?
Speaker 4 (12:56):
And vividly there was this moment, you know, I had
a difficult birth experience. She came two months early, and
I'm sitting in her nursery and just really you know,
contemplating this, and I think in those moments when she
was home from the nick, you just seeing how she
fought and then thinking about her growing up and the
(13:17):
fight that I was taking on. It was like, there's
no way that you and your generation are.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Going to take this fight on.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
At the time, I didn't know if anything was going
to come of it, but I just felt deeply called
to speak up, like I had a responsibility now as
a mother, and that's something I hadn't felt before.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
You know, I think it just it was a game
changer for me.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
You know, I think a lot of women say that
that it sort of changes the perspective of who's first,
and who comes first, and what's more important. And you
quite literally recognize that this was about your fight, but
also changing the game for everyone that came after you.
And I think it's also hard to read you talking
about your relationship with Nike at that time and the
(14:00):
way they communicated to you what you meant to them,
and always using the phrasing we're a family. Yeah, And
you felt like, my family is telling me that I
want to make this personal choice and they won't support
me in it, that they might not be there for
me when I come back, and that I have to
hit certain times and goals in order for them to
still treat me as a member of their family. What
(14:20):
an interesting dichotomy to be creating an actual family and
find out at the same time that these promises made
to you were not true. And I think a lot
of us go through the naivete of loyalty to something.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
That we assume is reciprocal.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
And when people tell you you're just a number, you're just
a cog in the wheel or whatever it is, you
don't want to believe it because you put so much
time and effort and energy into it.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
So when you do find out that that was true,
what's that emotion.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
For you as you started to for the very first
time realize that Nike wasn't going to do right by you.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
It was just like a gut punch, because it is.
And it was a great lesson to learn that. So often,
I think we do preach family in companies, and I
think we talk about it a lot, and for me,
it was a lesson even in creating my own company,
that it's not a family because there is a business
aspect to it. And I think it's when you're an
(15:14):
athlete and you're going on this journey and you have
these supporters who are feeling like family, and you're going
above and beyond and you're giving everything you have to this.
It's a weird thing, you know, And so when I
realized that, and you know, the veil was lifted and
it's like, oh no, this is not family at all.
It was hard, you know, it was hard to process
(15:37):
that and understand at the same time, you know, starting
a family and.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
All of those things.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
But I just realized, you know, at the end of
the day, it is about you know, the numbers on
the paper and the bottom line and all of that.
But it was it was difficult in the in the
process of it.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
There is a freedom to learning that, and there also
is an opportunity for a sparkle of ingenuity because I
feel like a lot of women figure out that the
system isn't built for us and then change it. And
it happens maybe less often with men because they're very
much served by the system that we're currently in. I
(16:15):
think about Abi Wombach talks about in her book, you know,
when they say if there's not a seat at the table,
pull up a chair, she says, screw pulling up a chair,
build a new table. If you're not going to have
a seat for me at the table that exists, I
don't want to pull up a chair. I'm going to
just create my own table. And it feels like, that's
very much what you did in speaking out. And at
the same time, that very same month of May twenty nineteen,
(16:37):
you testified before the US House Committee on Ways and
Means on the Black maternal mortality crisis. You mentioned that
your daughter's birth was difficult. You had preeclampsia while pregnant,
and then you had to have an emergency c section.
You not only are fighting with your sponsor for the
treatment that you deserve, but now you're fighting on behalf
of other mothers. Why did that experience with your daughter,
(16:58):
Instead of wanting to stay at home and cocoon and
just care for her, why were you so ready to
get out and fight.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
I think once I had wrote that op ed and
it came out, and I saw the response, and I
saw Nike other companies change their policy, I think for
the first time I understood what speaking out had the
power to do. And when you are vulnerable and when
you share that sometimes it can change things. And so
(17:28):
when I was going through the complicated birth of my daughter,
and I just I felt like my eyes were open
to a whole new world. I did not know the
enormity of the crisis that women were facing, and so
it was kind of that same feeling like if I
can do something about this, even if it's just raise awareness,
then I sign me up, like I want to be
(17:49):
on board with that. And so that was kind of
I remember leaving the hospital after a month of her
being there and us leaving as a family, and just
feeling so much gratitude because I learned of so many
stories where that's just not the case. And so that
was the push to say, yeah, I'm happy to testify.
It's not something I probably would have wanted to do
(18:11):
in my past and such a private person, but if
this has the potential to change the path forward, or
you know, if someone learns about signs of pre acclamsia,
you know, through this process, then it's absolutely worth it.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
You led me to my next question, which is you
start out by saying you don't love to be the
center of attention, and yet in all these moments you
are saying, I have the voice and the agency to
do something about this, So it's on me to say something.
What's your advice for folks listening who may think that
they're not built for that kind of fight, or can't
(18:46):
imagine walking into a room to testify or speaking out
against a boss or something like that. Did you have
to psych yourself up in the mirror? Did you have
to write down mantras? Did you have to eat a
certain kind of breakfast? I feel like real strong, Like,
what did you do to get yourself feeling ready for that?
Speaker 4 (19:02):
If that's not natural for you, I would say definitely
been exactly there in those shoes, And I never got
to this place where I was like I'm ready. You know,
there was never this feeling of confidence of like, Okay,
I'm gonna do this.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Like I was scared up to the very moments.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
That I press send on the op ed that until
I walked and you know, to the Ways and Means Committee,
Like it never went away. So I think this illusion
that you have to feel so courageous and so powerful
and ready for the moment, it's not the case. I'll
never forget. When I was going through all this, my
brother West said, you know, you can use your voice
(19:41):
even if it shakes, and I just kind of kept
repeating that because it's like I'm never gonna I'm never
gonna be that person that is like, you know, shouting
from the rooftops and so confident like in moments like this,
but that's okay, Like you can still move forward through
the fear, through the uncertainty, through all of that. And
so that's what I would say, And also that you
(20:03):
don't have to do it on the biggest stage. You know,
we can all hold people accountable in our own circles.
We can have conversations. So I think also don't think
you have to have a big platform, you know, to
bring about change. I think we can all really bloom.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
We're exactly where we're planted.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
I love that quote from your brother, and I love
the relationship you two have. Can you talk about what
it's been like to have your brother sort of managing
your career and now embarking on a number of your
other endeavors together.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
It's so much fun. I think people always just like,
what is it like to like work with a sibling and.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
I because we're all picturing our sibling that we fight
with all the time and that we can't imagine having
to coordinate with, and then you two are out there
just crushing it.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
I mean we've always had a special relationship since our
younger I mean we definitely did all the fighting also,
but then I don't know we I think it was
around middle school. We were at an school and I
think something clicked where it was like, oh my gosh,
we can be friends. And we've kind of been just
like really thick of sieves since then. And it's so
(21:09):
cool to be able to build with someone that you
love and that you trust one hundred percent. And I
think our strengths and weaknesses are opposite, and so we
have a really great dynamic together and.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
We've been doing it for a really long time now, so.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
I think we're very secure in both of our roles
and it's really a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Also, biggest fight you've ever gotten in.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
I don't even remember anything as an adult.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
I mean I remember just like wrestling with him as
a kid, and he could never my parents never let him.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Like wrestle back with me, and I just took full
advantage of that. So my mind.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
Immediately goes to like those those years where I was
just yeah, having my way.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
But nothing as adults. That's remarkable considering the stakes of
the work you're in.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Yeah, nothing, nothing.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
I mean, we have good, honest, hard conversations all the time,
but I never leave those feeling like we are at
odds because we're on the same team, like, you know,
we want the same things and the end goal, and
so I think it's great that we can push each other,
but it never it never spills over into our brother
(22:19):
sister relationship.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
So in addition to all of that advocacy, you also
were the driving force behind the Olympic Villages first ever nursery.
You were part of a twenty seventeen Today show Pink
Power Today campaign you surprised a fan with breast cancer.
Then You've fought all these battles over and over for
yourself and for others, and I wonder what you've learned
from those battles.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
I think the biggest thing is that you can create change.
And I think for the longest, I don't know when
I thought about doing things differently or you know, a
system that wasn't built for you. To me, I was like, well,
that's not my fight, Like that's gonna that's so big,
it's like so ambitious, you know, I how could just
me have any role in that? And I think what
(23:04):
I've seen is just there's power in the collective and
we all have to do our part. And it may
seem like it's really far off, or it may seem
like this one little thing is not going to matter.
And I think what I've learned is like every little
thing matters. You know, we all need to do, you know,
what we can, and sometimes you know that change is
going to come fast and sometimes you know maybe we
(23:24):
won't even be here to benefit from it. But it's
never about you. I think that's the biggest thing. Another
thing that I've taken away is I think oftentimes when
you're trying to change something, it might start with your
scenario and you know what you've been through and that's
the motivation, but it's going to be somebody else. You know,
things are going to change when somebody else you know
(23:45):
is able to benefit, and that's you have to be
okay with that. That's the reward, is like, Okay, things
down the line are going to be different.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Yeah, it does feel like sometimes you can feel worthy
in the most degrading and terrible moments if you choose
to take control of them and try to change them
going forward, even if it won't benefit you, because then
at least something comes out of it. It's so deflating
to just be mistreated or not given the right resources,
or not invested in or any number of things and
(24:14):
not feel like there's anything you can do about it,
at least in your own small way, in your.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Community, or in your own big way, like you have.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Trying to do something about it so the next person
doesn't face it feels like a stronger conviction even than
fixing it for yourself completely.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Yeah, it's like taking ownership of that and saying, yeah,
I'm going to flip this around and it's going to
be better for the next person.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Well.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
And so much of your advice, of course applies to
the battles you've taken on, but also just like current times,
everything is so overwhelming and terrifying and awful and inhumane,
and each of us individually, I think, can feel very
trapped in that. But remembering that the battles want at
the lower levels, whether that's which judges are voted in
(24:57):
or which community systems and policies are in effect, and
how that impacts the daily lives of the people around us,
can still be something in our control, even if the
decisions made at the very highest levels can't. And so
I love your advice to folks that they don't have
to First of all, they can use their voice even
if it shakes. And secondly, it doesn't have to be
at the House Committee, it can just be in their
(25:18):
own neighborhood.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
We got to take another quick break.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
The conclusion of my conversation with Alison is right after this,
You've made such a name for yourself now as an
advocate for moms.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
I wonder do you ever feel pigeonholed.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
At one point you were, Oh, she's an athlete, so
we don't expect anything from her except her run fast.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
And now, well she's retired.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Now she's a mom, so we're just going to talk
to her about all mom stuff all the time. Do
you try to get people to see that you contain
multitudes and your multifaceted and you want to have all
sorts of things going on, or do you now feel
like you're the mom?
Speaker 4 (25:58):
I definitely don't want to just be them, you know.
I think there's so many things that I'm passionate about,
and I think having moved away from the competition of
it all, I think there's been more time to explore
those things, and so yeah, I definitely want to dabble
in all of the areas and show that, you know,
I am multifaceted, and I do there is so much
(26:20):
more to me, and even when I think about the
work that I do at always Alpha, I want that
for our athletes as well, because I think you have
to really start that early, and I think there's no
better time than now. And we're seeing you know, just
rich stories, you know, off of the field of play,
other interests and passions, and every person is like that,
(26:42):
and so I think we, you know, we have to
lean more into the holistic version than just yeah, putting
people in boxes.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
You had a legendary track and field career, nothing left
to win, nothing left to prove, But that doesn't mean
it's easy to walk away and find new passions and purpose.
This is what was the predominant emotion for you in
the days after officially retiring and knowing you wouldn't be
competing again.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
I think there was a lot of grief.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
I had a lot of gratitude for my career because
it was incredible. I felt like, you know, not everybody
gets to end on their own terms and all of
those things, so so much gratitude, but I think I
had to grieve it. It was like, you know, this
thing that I've loved for so long I've been able
to do and pour myself into and then one day
(27:33):
it's just over, and I think there's this weird thing
because it goes on without you, and you know, now
you're on the outside like looking at it, and all
of those things are challenging as you find your new path.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
But I think it was like giving myself space to.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
Say, like, yeah, I feel sad that this is over,
and you know, I'm gonna miss it and I'm finding
my new way, but my feelings are valid, and yeah,
leaving room for that.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Are you competing at everything else?
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Now? Board games starts hopscotch, Like can you shut it
off or not?
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Really?
Speaker 4 (28:05):
I think it's who I am. I've definitely tried to
find like new things. You know, I'm trying to like
not always be on a track somewhere, but like started
learning tennis and just in areas that like I have
no business being competitive in. So it's like very humbling,
but yeah, it's it's in me.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
It's probably really good for you to be the very
best for a very long time and then start something
new and be like, oh this is streaky.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
It's so humbling, Like it's like nothing has transferred that's.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Funny, you know what, It's really good though.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
I read a whole book about how as adults we
are so used to being proficient that we stop trying
new things because it's uncomfortable to be bad at things,
and that the gift in that is so worthy of
the frustration or the awkwardness that you have. And oftentimes
people get really stagnant because they're not willing to try
new things, and there might be something that they would
love and they never discover it because they're too embarrassed
(28:59):
to try.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
So I love that you're out there.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
I'm out there trying swinging away. Yeah, definitely, I did.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
I did see you, though I didn't get to go
to a sport beach this year, which I'm very bummed about.
I was watching obsessively from Afar, but I saw a
little video of you and Can just a couple of
days ago. Everyone else probably drinking and apparel, sprints by
the beach, noshing on some snacks on that great patio
at the Carlton Hotel. You were running sprints uphill during
(29:28):
a very brief forty eight hour trip to France. When
do you relax and when do you stop?
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Ever?
Speaker 4 (29:35):
You know, I see a good heal and I just
feel like it needs to be run like this. Oh
I don't know, it's ingrained to me. And then also
you know you gotta you gotta get it in where
you can. The travel schedule's crazy, and it's like, Okay,
this is a great this is my this is the
workout area that I have I'm gonna do and it's
it's so fun.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
I actually have to admit, before my body completely fell
apart and my spine turned to dust because of an
achilles tear and everything else, I used to go to
a park and do wind sprints. I used to go
do my hurdle drills and stadium stairs. I loved that
feeling of like pushing myself to exhaust and just like
when I was practicing for something.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
So I don't blame you that you're still at it.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
There's nothing like it.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
I hope your body holds up forever and you can
do that forever, because there's just so much joy in that.
All right, last question for you, if you look beyond
the track and beyond the parenting at Alison Felix, what
will you find.
Speaker 4 (30:31):
I think just a person who cares for other people,
who loves family and friends and just wants to do
something meaningful in the world.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
Pretty simple, So far.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
So good. We're excited to see what happens next.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Thanks so much for the time, Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Good Game With Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. Find
us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are alex Azzie
Grace Lynch, Taylor Williamson, and Lucy Jones. Our executive producers
are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rutterer.
Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez and Gianna Palmer.
Production assistants from Avery Loftus and I'm Your Host Sarah
Spain
Host
Sarah Spain
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