Allyson Felix Joins the &Mother Board!

As Allyson Felix trains for the Tokyo Olympics with two-year-old daughter, Camryn, by her side, she knows what it takes to support women, at the top of their game, who plan to continue competing after starting a family.

Lending her voice, activist spirit, and passion for progress, Felix has joined the Board of Directors of &Mother, a nonprofit co-founded by Alysia Montaño that is dedicated to breaking the barriers that limit a woman’s choice to pursue and thrive in both motherhood and career. Allyson’s work with &Mother aims to ensure that the next generation of female athletes have the options and support systems they need, regardless of whether or not they decide to start a family during their career.

“You do not have to finish your career before becoming a mother, your best performances are not behind you once you become a mother.” says Felix

When Allyson Felix shared her personal story of the clash between sponsorship models for professional athletes and motherhood in a viral New York Times op-ed in 2019, she fueled the conversation about the bias that women face when it comes to motherhood and careers. As the most decorated athlete in Track and Field history male or female, Felix’s experience highlighted the pervasiveness of the discrimination that fellow Olympian, Montaño, wrote about when she kicked off the #DreamMaternity movement a month prior. 

“You don’t always know what to ask for or what you’ll need until you’ve been through it,” explains Felix, “The burden should not be on young athletes or new mothers or those at risk of losing a contract. That’s where &Mother comes in.” 

With our first initiative focused on the Sports Industry, &Mother is changing the narrative around female athletes and motherhood and directly aiding athletes to cover family-related support needs. 

“To spark real change, &Mother will demonstrate what support systems look like, provide practical solutions, and ultimately, turn that responsibility back on brands to step up and support their athletes who want to have both career and motherhood. Having Allyson on the Board for this stage adds real fuel to the fire,” adds Montaño.

We encourage female athletes who have started, are starting, or planning to start a family to join the movement, help identify support needs, and create the visibility of “and mother”hood in Sports.