With the 2024 Paris Olympics to start in just over a week, there has been some welcome news for athletes who also happen to be parents. Traveling for your job can be stressful for anyone but more so if you are a parent who has to leave her child/children behind.
Allyson Felix in partnership with nappy brand Pampers has launched the first-ever nursery at this year’s games for athletes. Felix who is nothing short of a star in the track and field world knows just what it means to be constantly traveling to attend various meets and events.
“I just knew how difficult it was to compete at the top level after I had my daughter, and some practical things were tough. And so when I joined the Athletes Commission of the IOC, I wanted to be that voice for athlete moms, and take away one less thing for them to worry about in the pressure of competition,” said Felix.
“The Pampers Nursery will be located in the heart of the Athlete Village Plaza, where athletes live during the games,” said Felix. “It will be a place where athletes can step away and have private time with their babies.”
“I think it tells women that you can choose motherhood and also be at the top of your game and not have to miss a beat.”
IOC Athletes Commission Member, Former USA Track and Field Star
The decorated track and field athlete’s advocacy began after she shared that Nike could not provide a salary guarantee after she fell pregnant, meaning that she wouldn’t be able to compete during her pregnancy and once she gave birth.
Felix had to have her daughter delivered at 32 weeks, due to pre-eclampsia, which is a type of high blood pressure that people get during pregnancy, meaning that she would not be able to compete for a longer than she first expected. There was negotiations, but Nike was not able to assure her that she would be given a salary guarantee while she was not on the track competing.
However, the leading sports brand then did a U-turn and will then provide maternity protection to athletes giving them a salary for 18 months during their time of and after pregnancy.
This kicked off a major turnaround in the industry which then took the pressure of new moms having to bounce back during their postpartum period to avoid losing their salaries.
Felix has won eleven Olympic medals, with seven of those being gold, and this feat has made her the only woman to do so. Her fighting spirit is something that can be admired and is what is helping other mothers get the help they need at this year’s games.
Since her retirement in 2022, she had a second child in 2024, and went on to become part of the Athletes Commission of the IOC, where she has been driving change for athletes who are also mothers.
Main Photo Caption: With the 2024 Paris Olympics to start in just five days, there has been some welcome news for athletes who also happen to be parents. Traveling for your job can be stressful for anyone but more so if you are a mom who has to leave her child/children behind. Photo: Supplied
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