Sprinting legend Allyson Felix considers efforts to empower women as the biggest part of her legacy

The legacy of Allyson Felix is hard to beat. The 11-time Olympic medalist is undoubtedly among the greatest female track and field athletes.

A few months ago, Felix had an interview with Jennifer Hudson on her YouTube channel. When Hudson asked the legendary athlete what she wanted her legacy to be like, she emphasized her role as a guide for women.

"I really hope my legacy is one that I've helped women. You know that I've advocated for them, I've really tried after becoming a mother. You know, to... to do more, to support more. So, I know that women are capable and just because we start families, that doesn't mean that you know that chapter is over."

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Allyson Felix talks about her ambitions and goals

In the interview, Allyson Felix also talked about other matters. At the very start of the conversation, Felix was asked about the reactions of her sponsors to her being pregnant. She revealed that initially, she wasn't supported.

"When I was pregnant, I went through a really hard time. I wasn't supported in the way that I hoped that I would have been and my renegotiation contracts, um, started off at 70 less than what I had been making before, and I was asking for maternal protection, so time to be able to recover after having a baby"

She added that after her conversation with the company, things changed for her and other female athletes.

"I ended up speaking on what was happening along with other teammates of mine. And I parted ways with the company that I was with, but um, after we spoke out, you know, they did change their policy and things did become different"

Later, Allyson Felix was asked about her company, Saysh. She started off by speaking about the company's founding and her brother's role in it.

"After I went through that whole ordeal, I was so frustrated because I felt like, I had accomplished so many of my goals, but I still didn't have a footwear sponsor and I was training for my fifth Olympics. And so my brother looked at me and he's like, 'Well, what if we just did this ourselves?' And I'm like, 'Create a shoe company?' And the more I sat with it, I was like, 'Yes, like we can create change ourselves instead of asking somebody else to do it.'"

She explained in detail what her company is all about. Felix also revealed how her lifestyle brand is different from others.

"So we created Saysh. So we created station. It's a Lifestyle brand for women and our first product has been a lifestyle sneaker. And we make shoes that are designed to fit the form of the female foot. And we learned that shoes haven't been made for women, she was made off of Alaska mold, that has been a mold of a man's foot to make women's sneakers. So we thought that was crazy. And so our shoes are different. They're designed for and by women and I'm so excited to do that."

Allyson Felix was also asked about the lessons she wants young girls to learn from her story, and she said:

"I hope that they know, that you know, they have to stand up for what they believe, that nobody can put limits on them. They can do whatever, you know, they desire to and you just got to be a fighter sometimes."

Allyson Felix recently won the Legacy Award at the USATF Night of Legends.