Allyson Felix

Allyson Felix

From Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky by Wondery

June 2, 2026 · 58 min

About this episode

Allyson Felix discusses her journey from athlete to advocate, focusing on the challenges of motherhood and corporate sponsorship.

The most decorated American track & field athlete in history, Allyson Felix joins Monica this week on Reclaiming for a conversation about what it takes to turn a moment of rejection into a movement. Allyson retraces her path from a shy, 'head-down' competitor focused solely on winning medals to the powerful advocate who risked everything to challenge a corporate sponsor system that penalized women for becoming mothers. She opens up about the isolating experience of hiding her pregnancy from Nike, negotiating her job security when her pregnancy became public, and the terrifying condition that threatened both her life and her daughter's. Allyson reveals how that confluence of personal crisis and professional injustice ignited her voice, leading her to walk away from a sponsorship, publish her groundbreaking New York Times op-ed, and ultimately build her own footwear company, Saysh, from the ground up. Expect a conversation filled with quiet determination and hard-won wisdom. * Since we taped this episode, Allyson made the exciting announcement that she’ll come out of retirement to compete in the 2028 Olympics is Los Angeles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…

People in this episode

Host: Monica Lewinsky

Guest: Allyson Felix

Topics covered

  • athletics
  • advocacy
  • motherhood
  • corporate sponsorship
  • personal crisis
  • empowerment

Keywords

  • Allyson Felix
  • Monica Lewinsky
  • Nike
  • Saysh
  • 2028 Olympics
  • advocacy
  • motherhood
  • New York Times op-ed

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nike, Saysh, New York Times

Places: Los Angeles

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