American Olympian Allyson Felix using her Platform for change

American Olympian Allyson Felix
American Olympian Allyson Felix
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AFP

After becoming the most decorated US track and field athlete in Olympics history, Allyson Felix has cemented her legacy on the track. But the 35-year-old is not just content with excelling in her sport and wants to use her platform for social good.

She recently partnered with Anthem, an insurance company that has conducted a study into the social drivers that affect people's health in the US.

The campaign hopes to trigger a national conversation about well-being and improve people's awareness of the things in life that can have a negative impact on one's health.

"It's been really interesting to me that there are these social drivers affecting our health and there are things that we don't really necessarily associate with health," she said. "So transportation and air quality and some of these things that you're just born into. It's really about taking a holistic approach to our health and, you know, figuring out how we spark conversations to create change for this."

The study, called Driving our Health, also found racial discrepancies when it came to healthcare statistics, with people of color saying they were more negatively affected by social drivers of health.

Felix wants to raise awareness in those communities, something she became passionate about after the birth of her daughter three years ago.

In November 2018, the American struggled with preeclampsia and had an emergency C-section at 32 weeks to deliver her daughter. "Obviously being an athlete and being healthy, living a healthy lifestyle, I never expected to find myself in that position," she added. "And so to be there and to be, you know, so scared and really not feeling like I was educated about the circumstances, it's really opened my eyes to kind of the whole new world of health. And really not taking my own health for granted and really wanting to raise awareness around some of these issues."

Felix says that becoming a mother helped her find her own voice, and she has been one of the many athletes to speak out against injustice in recent years, notably for women's rights and for racial equality.

She says she felt compelled to speak out after the death of George Floyd in 2020 and has continued to use her platform to fight for change. 

While it took Felix until later in her career to speak out, she says she's been proud to watch younger superstars take control of the public narrative. She is particularly inspired by the likes of Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka, who both bucked the trend by addressing their mental health struggles this year. In many ways, Tokyo 2020 will be remembered as a cornerstone for athletes speaking openly about the pressures of competition. 

"I think really making it a priority, making our mental health a priority and understanding when you're not OK and what are the steps and what works for you. I know when I have to lean into my support system, when I need to step away. Kind of what helps me to be able to thrive and take that time and take that space for myself," Allyson said.