Allyson Felix, the most decorated U.S. track and field athlete in history, announced that she will retire at the conclusion of the 2022 season.
"As a little girl they called chicken legs, never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I'd have a career like this," Felix wrote on instagram. "I have so much gratitude for this sport that has changed my life. I have given everything I have to running and for the first time I'm not sure if I have anything left to give."
Felix turned heads from the beginning of her career. She won a silver medal in the 200 meters at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
Her most recent accomplishments came during the Tokyo Olympics, her fifth consecutive Olympic Games. She earned a bronze medal in the 400-meter race -- her 10th career medal -- which gave her the most medals by a woman in Olympic track and field history.
She earned her 11th medal when she won the 4x400 gold the following day. This broke the all-time U.S. track and field medal recors she's shared with Carl Lewis. Seven of Felix's medals are gold, three are silvers and one is bronze. She also has 18 world championship medals, 13 of which are gold.
Although she is a highly decorated athlete, Felix is also a mother. Her pregnancy and delivery were challenging for her career, but she pushed through all the struggles. She gave birth in November 2018 with some complications due to preeclampsia and had to resort to an emergency C-section. Competing in Tokyo was a big deal because of this.
Felix wants to use her platform for more than sports. In her announcement post, the 36-year-old said she is dedicating her last season to women.
"This season I'm running for women. I'm running for a better future for my daughter. I'm running for you," she wrote. "More to come on that, so stay tuned, but I'll be sharing a series of announcements that I'm hoping will make the world better for women."
