Allyson Felix

Allyson Felix became the most decorated American track and field athlete, male or female, and the first woman in the sport with seven gold medals, when she won a gold in the women’s 4x400 relay in Tokyo. That alone would be worth a fandom. But Felix has emerged as a star far beyond the track and a hero to professional runners who have families as they compete. Felix helped challenge Nike to protect the salaries of its pregnant athletes, then left Nike altogether in 2019. She became Athleta’s first sponsored athlete that year, then launched her own shoe brand, Saysh, in June.

Felix’s iconic moment for her fans came this year at the Olympic track and field trials, held in June at the University of Oregon’s famed Hayward Stadium. Felix finished second to Quanara Hayes in the 400m, with both runners qualifying for Tokyo. Felix brought her daughter, Camryn, 3 — who was at the center of all of her mom’s activism against Nike’s restrictive maternity policies — onto the track and introduced her to Hayes’ son Demetrius, 2. “Guys, we’re going to Tokyo!” Felix yelled. We all felt her joy in that moment, watching her running life and her maternal life coexist peacefully at last.

We needed Felix fandom this year because we’re seeing paid family and medical leave get cut from President Biden’s social safety net package. Felix knows what moms need, and she put her career on the line for it. If only we could send Felix to Congress...