Allyson Felix, the most decorated woman in Olympic track and field history, is setting a new precedent for athlete mothers at the Paris Olympic 2024.
In partnership with Pampers, Felix has announced the launch of the first-ever nursery at the Olympic Village, aimed at providing a supportive environment for Olympic mothers to bond with and nurse their babies amid their competitions.
This groundbreaking initiative, located at the heart of the Athletes’ Village Plaza, promises to offer a home-like space for athletes and their families.
“It was top of mind to support athletes who are mothers,” Felix told NBC Olympics. “It’s a space where families can get away from it all and have some of the comforts of home.
They can have playtime and have places to feed their babies. It’s meant to feel like home.”
Recently appointed to the Athletes’ Commission at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Felix is relishing the chance to be a “voice for athlete moms” in her new role.
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The nursery, equipped with Pampers brand wipes and nappies, will offer spaces for playtime and family bonding, ensuring that pregnancy and motherhood do not signal the end of a female athlete’s career.
“Pregnancy and motherhood don’t have to mean a career end for female athletes,” said Emma Terho, the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission Chair and a two-time Olympic ice hockey medalist for Finland.
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“This nursery allows that to happen, while also giving athletes the opportunity to focus on the Games.”
Felix’s journey as a mother has not been without its challenges. In 2018, at 32 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with a life-threatening pregnancy complication called preeclampsia and had to undergo an emergency C-section.
Her daughter, Camryn, was born prematurely and spent the first month of her life in a neonatal intensive care unit.
Despite these hurdles, Felix returned to competition and won gold in the 4x400m relay and bronze in the 400m at the Tokyo Olympics, marking her fifth consecutive Olympics with a medal.
“I had the experience of coming back to competition with my daughter, and it was really challenging,” Felix said.
“You’re so far from home, and it’s really difficult to bring your family. It was even hard in ways I didn’t expect, like staying in hotels, washing bottles, all the things you have to bring, feeding your baby in stadiums, who’s going to watch your baby. It was challenging, but I had a lot of learnings of how things can be better.”
Felix is also championing an initiative to aid families who endure similar circumstances around premature birth.
Through purchases of Pampers diapers at Walmart, the company will donate up to one million diapers to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. “My daughter Camryn was a preemie, so I’m excited to support those families,” Felix said.
Felix and her husband, Kenneth Ferguson, recently welcomed their second child, a boy named Kenneth Maurice Ferguson III, affectionately known as “Trey.”
The family will be traveling together to Paris, marking the first Olympic Games without Felix competing since the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
As she looks forward to the Paris Games, Felix anticipates a strong performance from Team USA in track and field. “Our team is so strong,” Felix said. “We have that depth as always.
I’m excited to watch Gabby Thomas. The 200m is my event, so I’m looking forward to that. On the men’s side, it’s very strong as well. Noah (Lyles), Kenny (Bednarek), Erriyon (Knighton), they all look great.”
Among the U.S. athletes competing in Paris is new mother Elle St. Pierre, who gave birth to her son, Ivan, in March 2023. St. Pierre will compete in the women’s 1500m, and Felix is looking forward to watching her compete.
Felix’s efforts to support athlete mothers extend beyond the Olympic nursery.
In 2021, she created a childcare fund to support mom athletes and recently received a $20 million grant from the Melinda French Gates Foundation to support Black maternal health.
Felix is committed to ensuring that initiatives like her fund and the Olympic nursery become societal staples.
“This is a shift in culture,” Felix said. “It’s saying that motherhood isn’t the end. If you choose to be a mother in the midst of your career, you can still go and have incredible performances.”
Felix’s pioneering nursery at the Paris Olympic Village is a testament to her dedication to supporting athlete mothers and making motherhood a celebrated and supported aspect of an athlete’s journey.
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