Allyson Felix (born November 18, 1985 in Los
Angeles, California) is a track and field sprint
athlete, competing internationally for the United
States in the 200 meters. Felix, born and raised in
southern California, is also a devout Christian and
is the daughter of an ordained minister and
professor of New Testament at The Master's Seminary
in Sun Valley, California. Felix sees her running
ability as a gift from God, "My faith is the reason
I run - it calms my heart and makes everything feel
like a lift. My speed is definitely a gift from Him,
and I run for His glory. Whatever I do, He allows me
to do it."
In 2007 she became only the second female athlete –
after Marita Koch in 1983 – to win three gold medals
at a single IAAF World Championships in Athletics.
Felix attended Los Angeles Baptist High School in
the San Fernando Valley area of Southern California
where she was nicknamed "Chicken Legs" by her
teammates; the majority of the five-foot-six,
125-pound sprinter's body is a skinny bottom half.
But her slightness belies her strength - she can
dead-lift 360 pounds and power-clean 150 - and her
speed. Allyson didn't discover her gift until she
tried out for track in the ninth grade. Before long,
her name was everywhere. Just 10 weeks after that
first tryout, she finished seventh in the 200 at the
state championships; in the coming seasons, she
became a five-time California high school state
champ. As a senior, Felix finished second in the 200
at the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships. A few
months later, in front of 50,000 fans in Mexico
City, she ran 22.11 seconds, the fastest in history
for a high school girl.
Felix graduated in 2003, making headlines by
foregoing college eligibility to sign a professional
contract with Adidas. Adidas paid her an undisclosed
sum and picked up her college tuition at USC, where
she majored in elementary education.
Felix has also shown that she can overcome
adversity. During her junior year of high school,
she pulled a hamstring at the state championships
and re-injured it a few weeks later at the U.S.
Junior National Championships. By the time she made
it to the World Juniors in Jamaica, she had lost her
edge and ended up in fifth place. News articles said
Felix had choked, but she kept her head up. "That
was an extremely hard time," she said. "I had to
depend on God."
At just 18 Felix finished as silver medalist in the
200 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics, behind
Veronica Campbell of Jamaica; in doing so set a
World Junior record over 200 meters with her time of
22.18. She became the youngest ever gold medalist
sprinter in the 200 metres at the World
Championships in Helsinki in 2005 and then defended
her title at Osaka two years later. At Osaka Felix
caught Jamaican Veronica Campbell on the bend and
surged down the straight to finish in 21.81 seconds,
lowering her own season-leading time by a massive
0.37 seconds. After the final she stated that "I
feel so good, I am so excited. I have been waiting
for so long to run such a time, to run under 22
seconds. it has not been an easy road, but finally I
managed," said Felix. And as for the future "My next
goal is not the world record, but a gold in Beijing.
I want to take it step by step. I might consider to
do both -- the 200 and the 400 meters -- there." She
also has plans for the 100m "I like the 100m but it
didn't quite come together this year. I haven't
reached my potential because I have problems with my
start. But I haven't given up on it, I'm still
excited to work on it."
Felix is coached by Bobby Kersee - husband & coach
of Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
