The most decorated woman in Olympic track and field history is delivering a first to the Olympic Village: a nursery.
Allyson Felix, an 11-time Olympic medalist and proud mother of two, announced a partnership with Pampers to launch the first-ever nursery at the Olympic Village. The nursery is set to debut at the heart of the Athletes' Village Plaza, central to athletes’ living headquarters during the Games. It promises to offer a space for Olympic mothers to bond with and nurse their babies amid their competitions.
"It was top of mind to support athletes who are mothers," Felix told NBC Olympics. "It's a space where families can get away from it all and have some of the comforts of home. They can have playtime and have places to feed their babies.
It's meant to feel like home.
Felix recently joined the Athletes' Commission at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), relishing the chance to be a "voice for athlete moms," in her role.
"It's childcare," Felix said. "It's here so that mothers and families feel supported. Having some normalcy is great, just to have an actual space dedicated for this."
An IOC release announcing the nursery noted that Pampers brand wipes and nappies will be available, plus spaces for playtime and family bonding.
"Pregnancy and motherhood don’t have to mean a career end for female athletes," said Emma Terho, the IOC's Athletes' Comission Chair and a two-time Olympic ice hockey medalist for Finland. "This nursery allows that to happen, while also giving athletes the opportunity to focus on the Games."
Felix became a mother in 2018, a rewarding but harrowing time for her. At 32 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with a life-threatening pregnancy complication called preeclampsia. Felix was forced to undergo an emergency C-section. Her daughter, Camryn, was born prematurely at 3 pounds, 7 ounces and spent the first month of her life in a neonatal intensive care unit.
Now 5 years old, Camryn is living a healthy, happy life.
"I had the experience of coming back to competition with my daughter, and it was really challenging," Felix said. "You're so far from home, and it's really difficult to bring your family."
"It was even hard in ways I didn't expect, like staying in hotels, washing bottles, all the things you have to bring, feeding your baby in stadiums, who's going to watch your baby. It was challenging, but I had a lot of learnings of how things can be better."
After Camryn's birth, Felix competed at the Tokyo Olympics, winning 4x400m gold and earning an individual bronze in the 400m, marking her fifth consecutive Olympics with a medal.
Felix is also supporting an initiative to aid families who endure similar circ*mstances around a premature birth. Through purchases of its diapers at Walmart, Pampers will donate up to one million diapers to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
"My daughter Camryn was a preemie, so I'm excited to support those families," Felix said.
On April 10, Felix and her husband, Kenneth Ferguson, announced the healthy birth of their second child: a boy named Kenneth Maurice Ferguson III, known as "Trey."
"He's doing really well," Felix said. "It's been really fun to be a mother for the second time. He's thriving."
In a few days, Felix, Kenneth, Camryn and Trey will travel as a unit to Paris for the first Olympic Games without Felix on the track since the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Felix eagerly anticipates a strong U.S. performance in track and field after its 120-athlete team was announced. She previews the upcoming Olympic slate with NBC.
"Our team is so strong," Felix said. "We have that depth as always. I'm excited to watch Gabby Thomas. The 200m is my event, so I'm looking forward to that."
"On the men's side, it's very strong as well. Noah (Lyles), Kenny (Bednarek), Erriyon (Knighton), they all look great."
Among those representing the U.S. on the Paris Olympic track is new mother Elle St. Pierre, who gave birth to her son, Ivan, in March 2023. St. Pierre will compete in the women's 1500m in these Games.
"I've been following her and look forward to her competing," Felix said.
The nursery launching in Paris is far from Felix's first foray into activism. She created a childcare fund in 2021 to support mom athletes and also recently received a $20 million grant from the Melinda French Gates Foundation to support Black maternal health.
Felix maintains that her mission is to make sure initiatives such as her fund and the Olympic nursery become societal staples.
"This is a shift in culture," Felix said. "It's saying that motherhood isn't the end. If you choose to be a mother in the midst of your career, you can still go and have incredible performances."
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