Amidst the political mess that is the impeachment process and the Democratic candidates under heat for their debates, a lot of really positive and uplifting news slips between the cracks in these tumulus times.
What you may have missed is that Usain Bolt, the former World Championships record holder for most gold medals at the track and field World Championships, has been beaten by Allyson Felix at the World Championships on the mixed-gender 4x400m relay team after winning her 12th gold medal.
But the track star recounts that it was no easy feat, nor a goal she was expecting. After all, it was her first race after dealing with a harsh pregnancy. In November 2018, Felix battled preeclampsia, a condition where a woman’s blood pressure spikes thus causing high levels of protein in their urine and often also have swelling in the feet, legs, and hands, She underwent an emergency C-section at 32 weeks to deliver her daughter.
“If I come back and I’m just not the same, If I can’t make a fifth Olympic team, I’m gonna know that I fought, that I was determined, and that I gave it my absolute all. And if it doesn’t end up the way I imagined in my head, it’ll be OK. I just have to go for it, because that’s just simply who we are.”
And succeed she did, not just in the sports field but in the social field as well. Back in August, Felix fought Nike over their treatment of female athletes who took breaks in their career to have children. Ever since, Nike agreed to change its future contracts with female athletes which ensured female athletes will not be “adversely impacted financially for pregnancy” for 18th months.
Now, Felix will be running in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics, hopefully winning many more gold medals. Truly, a real life superhero.