"Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone"- Allyson Felix cites example of her running 400m while sharing her approach to life

Allyson Felix, an 11-time Olympic medalist, has been a trailblazer in the world of athletics. The 37-year-old sprinter, who won her first Olympic medal at 2012 Athens and her last at 2020 Tokyo, had an astonishing long career. It concluded in her becoming the most successful American track and field athlete.

Other than her Olympic exploits, Allyson Felix is also the holder of 20 World Championships medals, 14 of which are gold. Given her decorated career, it is no surprise that many look up to the veteran for advice regarding life, sports, and everything in between.

Felix recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a piece of wisdom with her fans. She encouraged them to step out of their comfort zones to get what they wanted in life. The message was accompanied by a video of Allyson sprinting at the 400m in an IAAF Diamond League event.

"Don't be afraid to get outside of your comfort zone. That's how I felt every single time I ran the 400m. It didn't come naturally, it wasn't easy, and it definitely scared me…but it was all about facing that challenge. I’m applying this same concept to life now."

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What does Allyson Felix do now?

After racing for nearly two decades on the international stage, Allyson Felix called time on her athletics career in 2022. She shared the announcement on her Instagram, writing that she has "so much gratitude for this sport that has changed my life"

Since retiring, Allyson has gone on to expand her footwear brand Saysh. The brand was originally founded by Felix and her brother Wes in 2021 after she split with long-time sponsor Nike.

The split was messy, with Allyson Felix alleging that Nike offered her 70% less than the original deal. The deal also failed to offer any type of salary protection for the American in terms of pregnancy.

The sprinter then released a pair of shoes called Saysh One and debuted them at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She won a gold and bronze medal in Tokyo while wearing the Saysh Ones, cementing their credibility.

The main motto of Allyson Felix's footwear brand is "designing performance shoes designed specifically for women and by women''. The brand even has a maternity policy that sends expecting mothers a free pair of shoes if their shoe size changes during pregnancy.

Saysh was also awarded the Best Fashion Sneakers Award at the 2023 Women’s Health Sneaker Awards.