Felix, who experienced severe preeclampsia during her pregnancy, understands the risks many Black women face. At 32 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with this potentially life-threatening complication, leading to an emergency C-section. Her daughter, Camryn, was born at 3 pounds, 7 ounces, and spent her first month in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Felix credits her doctor’s swift actions with saving her life and now works to educate pregnant and postpartum women about the urgent warning signs of pregnancy-related complications and the importance of self-advocacy.
Since retiring from Olympic track and field in 2022, Felix, who holds the record for the most Olympic medals of any U.S. track and field athlete, has continued to advocate for the well-being of pregnant women. In June 2022, she partnered with Pampers to champion maternal health for Black mothers, with Pampers committing $250,000 to the cause and providing $100,000 to the National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC).
Felix will again partner with Pampers during the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, to ensure a nursery is available for Olympic moms.
“I just knew how difficult it was to compete at the top level after I had my daughter, and some practical things were really hard and so when I came on the Athletes Commission of the IOC [International Olympics Committee], I really wanted to be that voice for athlete moms and just take away one less thing for them to worry about in the pressure of competition,” she explained during an interview with “CBS Mornings.”
“This space is a place where they can have play time and feed their babies and get away from a lot of the noise that happens at the Olympic Games.”
Watch Allyson Felix’s full interview segment on “CBS Mornings” below.