Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix has teamed up with Pampers to establish the first-ever nursery to support athlete parents in the Olympic Village.
Felix, the most decorated track and field athlete in history, unveiled the plans for the Pampers Nursery on CBS Mornings during a Wednesday appearance.
Now retired from competition, the mother of two has been outspoken about the challenges of balancing elite athleticism and parenthood, and currently serves on the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes Commission.
“I understood the difficulties of competing at the highest level after having my daughter, and some practical aspects were quite challenging,” Felix shared during the live interview. “I wanted to be a voice for athlete moms and alleviate some of the pressure they face during competition.”
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The nursery will be situated at the center of the Athlete Village Plaza. “This area will provide a space for playtime, feeding infants, and escaping the noise of the Olympic games,” explained Felix.
Felix sees the nursery as a step towards a cultural transformation that demonstrates women can choose motherhood and excel in their field.
In 2019, Felix sparked public outcry after The New York Times published her op-ed revealing how Nike, her sponsor, attempted to reduce her pay when she was pregnant with her first child. This response came after two other Olympic runners made similar allegations of pay cuts for pregnant athletes and new mothers.
Nike responded by implementing a new maternity policy for all sponsored athletes.
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Felix has openly shared her experience of facing a life-threatening pregnancy complication that led to an emergency C-section for the birth of her first child. Despite the challenging premature childbirth, she felt pressured to continue performing at a high level and went on to break Usain Bolt’s world record just 10 months after giving birth.
During her CBS Mornings appearance, she also discussed receiving a $20 million grant from the Melissa French Gates Foundation to support Black maternal health, another cause she passionately advocates for.
