By Jessica Onyepunuka
First Hit Single
Unlike her peers who had been running since childhood, Allyson Felix was introduced to the sport of track & field in middle school. Nicknamed “chicken legs” for her lanky stature, she would soon surprise everyone with her strength in the weight room and speed on the track. By 2003, Felix and her “chicken legs” ran into the record books. After winning gold at the California State Meet, she entered a race in Mexico City and proceeded to post 22.11 seconds in the 200-meter dash, the fastest time any high school girl had run – ever. The records would continue to fall from there.
Going Gold
Felix started off her professional career making a bold decision – she wanted to go pro. Rather than compete collegiately, she became a professional track & field athlete. Knowing that she was a Trojan at heart, she still attended USC in pursuit of her bachelor’s degree. Her decision paid off. She followed up her 2004 Olympic silver medal with her first gold in the 200m at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. Even though she repeated as 200m World Champion in 2007 and 2009, an individual Olympic gold eluded her in 2004 and 2008, although she did earn her first Olympic gold medal as part of the 4x400m relay team in Beijing.
Felix decided she would need to focus on every aspect of the 200-meters if she was going to beat Jamaican archrival Veronica Campbell. She improved her speed by running the 100-meter dash and her endurance by running the 400-meters. The work paid off at London 2012 when she won gold – three times! She finally captured Olympic gold in the 200m and picked up two more relay gold medals running the 4x100m and 4x400m.
Hall of Fame
While Felix is respected for her immense talent and consistency for more than a decade, her clean record has garnered the most respect from the track world. In a sport plagued with doping and steroid use, Felix has remained a proud figure for the sport. For the past three years, she has been appointed to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition and, along with USATF, has been an advocate of Let’s Move Active Schools – a partnership among First Lady Michelle Obama, Nike and others aimed at integrating physical activity before, during, and after the school day.
Allyson Felix has evolved into more than a world-class athlete. She has become a worthy role model for young girls in the sports world.
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