When Allyson Felix became pregnant, Nike threatened to cut her sponsorship contract by almost 70% because of her pregnancy.
They told her:
“You should know your place… and just run.”
Amid all this, at seven months pregnant, Allyson had to undergo an emergency C-section due to a serious complication.
Her baby girl spent over a month in the neonatal intensive care unit.
But two years later, Allyson qualified for her fifth Olympic Games, with her daughter in the stands cheering her on.
Allyson left Nike.
And she founded her own shoe brand: Saysh One.
At the Tokyo Olympics, she ran wearing her own sneakers, carrying the motto:
“I know exactly where my place is.”
With 11 medals, she surpassed Carl Lewis and became the most decorated American track and field athlete in history.
And to all women, she gave this message:
“I raised my voice and built this company for you, so that you’ll never have to train at 4:30 in the morning, five months pregnant, just to hide it from your sponsor.” ❤️
