“As a mom and an athlete, I know firsthand the obstacles that women face,” said Felix.
Written By Brandee Sanders (Source NewsOne):
Track and field star Allyson Felix has been candid about balancing motherhood and her career, and she’s on a mission to support other mom-athletes who are on the same journey. According to Glamour, Felix has teamed up with the apparel brand Athleta and the Women’s Sports Foundation to provide childcare grants for women who are competing at the Tokyo Olympics.
The strides that Felix has made throughout her career have transcended beyond the track and into the realm of advocacy. She has been a champion for women’s empowerment and has continually used her platform to advocate for equity in healthcare and women’s rights surrounding pregnancy. Cognizant of expensive childcare costs, Felix was determined to alleviate financial burdens for women who are competing so they’d be able to focus on excelling in their respective sports. “As a mom and an athlete, I know firsthand the obstacles that women face,” she said in a statement posted by the Women’s Sports Foundation. “I wanted to work with Athleta and the Women’s Sports Foundation to take an important step in supporting female athletes as whole people—both on and off the field—by offering financial childcare support to mom-athletes headed to Tokyo.” The upcoming com-petitions will mark Felix’s fifth Olympic Games.
The $10,000 grants will be distributed through a $200,000 fund. The funds will cover all of the costs associated with bringing children to the competition, including food, travel, meals, caregiver expenses and medical costs. The endowments will be awarded to women who are expecting a child in 2021 or have one or more children under the age of 18.
Many athletes are putting the focus on empowering mothers. Last year tennis star Serena Williams joined forces with The Mom Project to connect mothers with career opportunities at global companies. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re a team of 1 or 100,000; if you’re hiring, are you considering hiring moms? Together, we can influence how work gets done and build a better workplace for the future,” said Williams.
