ALLYSON FELIX HAS WON, GET A LOAD OF THIS, NINE OLYMPIC
MEDALS, MAKING HER THE MOST
DECORATED FEMALE TRACK AND FIELD
STAR IN U.S. OLYMPIC HISTORY.
>> RECENTLY, SHE’S GONE THROUGH
A PRIVATE STRUGGLE AND OPENED UP
IN THE "NEW YORK TIMES" ABOUT
THE DIFFICULTY FEMALE ATHLETES
FACE WHEN IT COMES TO MATERNITY
LEAVE AND THEIR CORPORATE
SPONSORS.
SPONSORS. ALLYSON IS HERE TO DISCUSS THIS
AND HAS A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT.
>> SO NICE TO SEE YOU GUYS.
>> SO YOU WRITE THIS OP-ED IN
THE "NEW YORK TIMES," AND YOU
SAY YOURSELF, YOU’RE NOT USUALLY
ONE TO RUFFLE FEATHERS.
TELL US ABOUT THE OP-ED AND WHY
YOU DECIDED TO DO IT NOW.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. IT WAS REALLY ABOUT JUST
BRINGING AWARENESS TO SOMETHING
THAT WAS HAPPENING IN OUR
INDUSTRY.
INDUSTRY. THERE WAS SO MUCH SILENCE
SURROUNDING WOMEN BECOMING
PREGNANT, STARTING FAMILIES, AND
HOW SPONSORSHIP WAS REFLECTED BY
THAT.
THAT. OTHER WOMEN HAVE SPOKE OUT, AND
THEY REALLY UNSPIREINSPIRED ME T
THE CONVERSATION.
THE CONVERSATION. >> YOU WERE IN THE MIDST OF
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WHEN THIS
CAME OUT.
CAME OUT. WHAT WAS THE IMPACT OF IT?
>> CHANGE HAPPENED.
SO THE INCREDIBLE THING IS, WE
BROUGHT AWARENESS.
BROUGHT AWARENESS. THERE WASN’T PROTECTION
SURROUNDING MATERNITY.
SURROUNDING MATERNITY. BECAUSE WE SPOKE OUT, YOU KNOW,
THINGS STARTED TO CHANGE.
I HOPE THAT IT IS JUST A
STARTING POINT.
STARTING POINT. >> NOW, OKAY, YOU WERE STILL IN
THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH NIKE.
OBVIOUSLY, THINGS FELL APART.
NIKE, WE REACHED OUT, AND THEY
RESPONDED WITH A STATEMENT,
SAYING BACK IN MAY, IN 2018, WE
CREATED AN OFFICIAL POLICY
STANDARDIZING OUR APPROACH
ACROSS ALL SPORTS.
NO FEMALE ATHLETE IS PENALIZED
FOR PREGNANCY.
FOR PREGNANCY. WHILE THE SPECIFICS OF EACH
ATHLETE AND SPORT IS UNIQUE,
WE’RE WAIVING REDUCTIONS FOR 12
MONTHS FOR THE ATHLETES WHO
DECIDE TO HAVE A BABY.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
>> I WAS REALLY HAPPY THAT NIKE
STEPPED UP AND CHANGED THEIR
POLICY.
POLICY. THAT’S WHAT THIS WAS ABOUT.
I THINK THAT’S AMAZING ABOUT
USING YOUR VOICE.
IT CAN BE SCARY, ARE IS I CANRIS
NOT SURE OF CONSEQUENCES, BUT
WHEN YOU SEE ACTION HAPPEN,
WOMEN SPEAKING THEIR TRUTH, IT
IS AMAZING WHEN THINGS ACTUALLY
CHANGE.
CHANGE. >> WE SEEM SOB IN AEEM TO BE IN
WHERE FEMALE ATHLETES ARE
STEPPING INTO IN ARENA IN A NEW
WAY.
WAY. WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THAT?
>> WE FEEL THE SUPPORT.
WE KNOW WE’RE NOT ALONE.
IT IS A PIVOTAL TIME IN WOMEN’S
SPORTS, SO I JUST FEEL SO PROUD
TO JOIN IN THAT.
>> AS WE LOOK AT A PICTURE OF
YOUR BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRL,
8-MONTH-OLD CAMERON, YOU HAVE A
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT. >> YES.
>> YES. I AM SO EXCITED BECAUSE I AM
PARTNERING WITH ATHLETA.
I AM THRILLED BECAUSE I FEEL
THEY ARE REDEFINING WHAT
PARTNERSHIP LOOKS LIKE.
SUPPORTING AN ATHLETE
HOLISTICALLY.
HOLISTICALLY. THAT’S ME AS AN ATHLETE BUT ALSO
AS A MOTHER AND JOINING AS AN
ACTIVIST.
ACTIVIST. I FEEL AMAZING ABOUT THAT.
>> WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, THE ROLE
OF SPONSORSHIP AND SUPPORTING
SOMEONE HOLISTICALLY?
SOMEONE HOLISTICALLY? >> IT IS DIFFERENT.
AS AN ATHLETE, YOU ARE FOCUSED
ON PERFORMANCE.
ON PERFORMANCE. I FEEL LIKE I AM MORE THAN AN
ATHLETE.
ATHLETE. I HAVE MORE TO OFFER THAN THAT.
TO BE SUPPORTED ALSO IN THESE
OTHER ASPECTS OF MY LIFE, TO BE
ABLE TO START INITIATIVES THAT
ARE GOING TO EMPOWER WOMEN AND
GIRLS, THAT’S REALLY WHAT I’M
INTERESTED IN.
INTERESTED IN. TO HAVE A COMPANY STAND BEHIND
THAT, I THINK IT IS REALLY
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. >> IN FACT, YOU’RE ON A MAGAZINE
COVER RIGHT NOW DIGITALLY,
TALKING ABOUT BLACK MATERNAL
MORTALITY.
MORTALITY. >> YES.
>> YES. I GOT TO GO BEFORE CONGRESS AND
TELL MY STORY OF WHAT HAPPENED
REGARDING MY BIRTH.
I HAD SEVERE PRECLAMPSIA.
BLACK WOMEN ARE FOUR TIMES MORE
LIKELY TO FACE COMPLICATIONS AND
DEATH WHEN GIVING BIRTH.
>> I THINK PEOPLE WOULD BE
SURPRISED BY THE STATISTICS HERE
IN THE UNITED STATES.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. I WAS.
I WAS. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I DIDN’T -- I
WAS THROWN INTO THE SITUATION,
AND I WANT EVERYONE TO BE AWARE.
>> I MENTIONED THE OLYMPICS
2004.
2004. WILL WE SEE YOU IN TOKYO?
>> THAT IS THE PLAN.
I’M WORKING HARD.
>> LOOK AT THE JEWELRY AROUND
HER NECK.
HER NECK. SHE WORKS OUT THREE HOURS A DAY.
WE HAVE TO GET MOVING.
>> WORKING HARD TO BE THERE.
>> WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU