Allyson Felix wants to challenge what aging in sports is supposed to look like

When American sprinter Allyson Felix retired in 2022, she didn’t have anything left to prove.

When American sprinter Allyson Felix retired in 2022, she didn’t have anything left to prove. After winning two medals at the Tokyo Olympics, she had 11 total, which was more than Carl Lewis, more than Usain Bolt. She had won seven gold medals, too, the most by any female track and field athlete. At 36 years old, she was going out on top.

Subscribe to read this story ad-free

Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.

But over the next few years, “there was this sense of loss and grief of leaving something that I did for almost 20 years and loved,” Felix told NBC News. “And then a lot of identity work around, who am I without track and field? I worked through a lot of that.”

Felix spent time with her family and stayed busy with various business and sports ventures. Then in 2024, she attended the Paris Olympics with her family. She took her daughter to see Simone Biles compete on the vault. It was Felix’s first Olympics as a spectator, and “it was strange being there and not competing,” she said. “Just an odd feeling.”