It’s looking like just the beginning as Allyson Felix is not finished just yet. Earlier this month, Felix — the most decorated track athlete in history — graced the field for the final time. Although her decision to retire was not easy, she looks forward to championing her legacy off the field in what she calls her “next great challenge.” In an exclusive interview with AfroTech, Felix affirms why she believes it was time to step away. “I felt so fulfilled throughout my career. It has been difficult to step away just because I am so passionate. I love competing so much, but I also knew that it was the right time. I knew that I wanted to move toward other things that I was passionate about as well,” Felix said. “I think it’ll be challenging since I don’t have that. I think there is a sense of loss, because the thing that I’ve spent the last 20 years doing, I’ll miss it, but I’m also excited to fulfill that area with other work that I’m interested in doing.”

In less than a year since its launch, Allyson Felix’s Saysh is about to get even bigger and better. As previously reported by AfroTech, the Olympian co-founded the athletic footwear brand following her departure from Nike due to their lack of support for pregnant female athletes and new mothers. Then, during the 2021 Olympics, Felix made a beautiful statement by wearing her own brand on the track. “I did have a little moment. When I crossed the finish line and I looked down at my spikes. These beautiful handcrafted Saysh spikes. And I was like, ‘I did this in my own shoes,’” Felix shared in a fireside chat with UBS.