After spending nearly two decades preparing for Olympic competitions and winning 11 medals, including 7 golds, Allyson Felix is in Paris as a fan, not as the most decorated track and field athlete in history.
Felix has been seen spending time with her husband and their two children in Paris while watching the competitions and hanging out with her athlete and celebrity friends, including Snoop Dogg.
“It's my first time being at the Games as a spectator, and I'm really enjoying it,” she said.
One of her favorite parts of the Paris Olympics, she said, has been being able to watch world-class athletes compete with her 4-year-old daughter.
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“I went to go see Simone (Biles) win another gold medal in vault in gymnastics. That was pretty cool. I had my daughter with me,” the Olympian said.
Felix may have stepped away from competing in the Olympics, but she has been an athlete representative on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as an appointed member for two years.
The mother of two little children played an instrumental role in creating a nursery inside the Paris Olympic village, and she is now running to become a member of the IO Athlete’s’ Commission with the full endorsement of Team USA Athletes’ Commission.
“I was appointed to that (athlete representative) position, and I was able to have the family space in the nursery because of it,” Felix explained. “I think just spending time in that position showed me that change is possible. Now that my term is up, I'm excited to run for election and hopefully continue to do some of that work that I'm passionate about.”
If she wins the election, the Crenshaw native would be doing more for the IOC as the city of Los Angeles gets ready to host the 2028 Summer Olympics.
“I'm excited that I'll be able to have my family there, and we'll all be able to partake in the special magic of the Olympic Games."
