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TOKYO, JAPAN – AUGUST 07: Allyson Felix of Team United States is introduced to the Women’s 4 x 400m Relay Final on day fifteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 07, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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TOKYO, JAPAN – AUGUST 07: Allyson Felix of Team United States is introduced to the Women’s 4 x 400m Relay Final on day fifteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 07, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
US Olympic legend Allyson Felix had to go through a lot of struggles to reach the feat of being one of the most decorated athletes. And one of her daring decisions included calling quits with sponsor Nike.
In 2019, Nike made a huge decision of cutting her pay by 70% citing her pregnancy. Allyson has been competing in Olympics since 2004 and was aware of her self-worth and what she can achieve in the future as well. Felix eventually broke her relationship with the high-end brand.
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Allyson Felix had to fight self-doubts
After separation from Nike, Felix faced a lot of self-doubt. Even a normal human being feels insecure with a normal comment by a random person. Sadly, Felix went through a tough time during her pregnancy, and when they should have been a supporter, Nike doubted her.
Allyson worked hard to get over her self-doubts. In a recent interview, she disclosed that the moment after her calling quits with Nike was one of the lowest moments of her life.
Allyson said, “I think I felt the most challenged right after going through those negotiations with Nike, actually. Because, you know, being an older athlete and being a mother feeling that I wasn’t believed in and like I couldn’t get back. It was a really low moment for me, and I think as an athlete, just even as people who tie my self-worth to something else.”
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Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Athletics – Women’s 400m – Round 1 – Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan – August 3, 2021. Allyson Felix of the United States in action REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel
“Either a performance or, in this case, to the way Nike valued me or didn’t value me. I had to really work on that, and to find you know, to know that my work isn’t related to that, so that was probably the hardest,” she further added.
Felix proved she was unstoppable with her own shoe brand
When the top athletes were being sponsored by technologically advanced shoes by Nike and Puma, Felix fought independently. In 2020, Felix created her own shoe brand from scratch. She named the brand ‘Saysh’; she wore her own designed spikes in Tokyo Olympics.
The quality of the shoes has passed all tests, as Allyson clinched two Olympic medals in her own brand shoes. After Olympics, now the shoes are available for her fans online.
Read More: US Olympic Star Allyson Felix Teases Opening of First ?Saysh? Store
