At the World Athletics Championships in Doha, two track legends shone brightly in their own ways. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce captured her fourth world title in the women’s 100 meters, crossing the line in a world-leading time of 10.71 seconds. Meanwhile, Allyson Felix added another remarkable milestone to her legacy by helping the U.S. win the 4×400 mixed relay. That victory earned her a record-breaking 12th World Championship gold medal, surpassing Usain Bolt’s tally of 11 and cementing her status as the most decorated athlete in World Championship history. But then…

Following her triumph in Doha, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce brought her 2-year-old son, Zyon, along for the victory lap, while Allyson Felix’s 10-month-old daughter watched proudly from the stands. “A victory for motherhood,” the Jamaican star exclaimed as she circled the Khalifa International Stadium in celebration. In that powerful moment, it felt as though both mothers had achieved a deeply personal redemption. Yet, their stories didn’t end there—there was still more to unfold.

Recently, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce opened up in a candid conversation with Emily Abbate of Marie Claire, offering rare insight into the struggles behind her remarkable journey. When the topic turned to the 2016 Olympics, the 38-year-old sprint icon revealed a layered truth: just after suffering a painful toe injury that derailed her performance in Rio—where she still managed to clinch a bronze—she discovered she was pregnant.

While the world watched her chase Olympic glory, behind the scenes, Shelly-Ann was fighting battles no one knew about. Not even her mother. “For a lot of us here in Jamaica,” she said, “we are already battling with our insecurities of not feeling like we belong, and not feeling like we are worthy. But I’ve always had the mentality, I’m just gonna work my way back. That’s how we grew up. That’s how my resilience became so strong. I always thought, Nobody’s gonna give me anything. I have to make you see that you need me.” In her world, pregnancy wasn’t just personal—it could be career-ending. Speaking up felt like surrender. And Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce never surrendered. She chose the harder path. The path of champions.

In 2017, Shelly-Ann welcomed her son Zyon through a C-section. And two years later, she returned to the track not just as an athlete, but as a mother with something to prove—and something bigger to fight for. In the blistering heat of Doha, with temperatures soaring to 95 degrees, Fraser-Pryce defied every doubt. “I faced so much adversity going into that championship,” she recalled. “Track was the outlet that I had to pour into.” Standing at the starting blocks in Doha, she wasn’t just chasing medals—she was chasing purpose. “I believe in the power of alignment,” she said. “When things are aligned, no one and nothing on this earth can stop that.” Fear, nerves, and uncertainty still lived within her. But then, she looked at her son. “It doesn’t matter what happens,” she thought.

And in that moment—just like Allyson Felix—Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce wasn’t just running for herself. She was running for motherhood. For redemption. For legacy. And here comes Allyson Felix’s story. 

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Allyson Felix fought the same war 

In 2018, Allyson Felix faced one of the toughest chapters of her life. At just 32 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia and rushed into an emergency C-section. Her newborn daughter, Camryn, spent her first days in a neonatal intensive care unit, fighting for every breath. But it wasn’t just a medical emergency—it was a wake-up call.

The following year, Felix did something few athletes dared: she called out Nike, her longtime sponsor, for attempting to slash her pay by 70% during her maternity period. She stood firm, using her platform to challenge an industry that often punishes women for choosing both career and motherhood. Just three months later, her voice sparked change—Nike reversed course, guaranteeing pay and bonuses for 18 months around pregnancy. Other companies soon followed, finally offering maternity protections that should have existed long before.

But Allyson wasn’t done proving herself—on or off the track. She let her legs do the talking in Doha, breaking Usain Bolt’s record to become the most decorated gold medalist in World Championships history. And in 2021, she kept blazing trails: bronze in the women’s 400m, and gold with the U.S. women’s 4x400m relay team. The fire didn’t stop there. At the World Championships in Eugene, she added a bronze in the 4x400m mixed relay—bringing her total to an astonishing 11 Olympic medals and 20 World Championship medals.

So, together, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Allyson Felix didn’t just return to the track as mothers—they returned as forces of change. Through the sleepless nights, the surgeries, the doubts, and the defiance, they rewrote the rules of what motherhood could look like in elite sport.