美国国家公共电台 NPR--Allyson Felix launches a child care initiative for athlete moms

Allyson Felix launches a child care initiative for athlete moms

Transcript¹

Allyson Felix is the most decorated U.S. track and field athlete in history. She has 11 Olympic medals, more than Carl Lewis (and Jamaica's Usain Bolt).

And she's running some of the last races of her professional career over the coming weeks, dedicating her last season to women athletes like her — especially mothers. Felix has spent recent years advocating for maternal³ health for Black women. She's worked to ensure mothers have childcare support when competing.

"I felt like I had to win all the medals, do all the things, before I could even think about starting a family, and that's something that I don't want my daughter to feel," she told NPR's Morning Edition.

This week, she's kicking off an initiative with her sponsor Athleta and the nonprofit group &Mother to provide free child care to athletes, coaches and staff at the U.S. Track and Field championships. Felix's Team USA teammate and two-time world champion, Alysia Monta?o, co-founded &Mother.

Felix, Athleta — through its Power of She Fund — and the Women's Sports Foundation have also opened a third round of child care grants, providing female athletes $10,000 for child care expenses needed so they may train and compete. WSF and Athleta have so far awarded more than $200,000 in those grants.

The runner said the burden of child care costs is "the biggest barrier" to women continuing to compete at a high level.

Felix began her advocacy journey after becoming a mother in 2018. When she was 32 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia, a potentially life-threatening condition. She had to have an emergency C-section and her daughter spent the first month of her life in a neonatal intensive care unit.

"In track and field, the culture around pregnancy⁴ was silence. Athletes would either hide pregnancies⁵ to secure new contracts, or their contracts were in place were put on hold almost like they had an injury," she said.

Felix spoke⁶ out against Nike when the company, her sponsor at the time, refused to pay her while she was on maternity⁷ leave. That protest led to changes in the maternity policy for athletes not only at Nike but at other athletic⁸ apparel companies, as well.

"I felt like I was being used in multiple marketing⁹ campaigns to tell women and girls that they could do anything when internally I was having such a hardship," Felix explained.

"What I was asking for was when a woman has a baby to have time to recover to be able to get back to that top form. And essentially¹⁰, they told me that I could have time but they weren't ready to give all female athletes the time and they weren't willing to tie anything to pregnancy in the contract. And so, for me, that was a real issue and a sticking point."

The Nike representatives she dealt with at the time were men. "I just think how would that situation have been different if there were women at the table," Felix said.

Another way that the athlete has supported women is through her sneaker brand, Saysh. The company has a unique return policy. Women whose shoe size goes up during pregnancy — a common change that can be permanent — can get a fresh pair of sneakers in their new size for free.

"It's just a way really to ... say we can show up and support women, and they don't have to choose between motherhood and anything else," Felix said.

At the end of this season, she plans to retire. Her last pro² races are set to be the U.S. championships this week, June 23-26, and if she qualifies, she will then compete at the world championships in July. Both take place in Eugene, Oregon.

But she'll still keep running, for herself, and for her daughter too.

"I might only have a few more years where I could beat her, but I got to stay ready," Felix said.

"I am totally going to continue to train and to enjoy running. It brings me such pleasure and joy."

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

3 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

4 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

5 pregnancies   

怀孕，妊娠( pregnancy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Since the wartime population needed replenishment, pregnancies were a good sign. 最后一桩倒不失为好现象，战时人口正该补充。
• She's had three pregnancies in four years. 她在四年中怀孕叁次。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 maternity   

n.母性，母道，妇产科病房；adj.孕妇的，母性的

参考例句：

• Women workers are entitled to maternity leave with full pay.女工产假期间工资照发。
• Trainee nurses have to work for some weeks in maternity.受训的护士必须在产科病房工作数周。

8 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

9 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

10 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。