Felix, the most decorated woman in Olympic athletics history with 11 medals, plans a comeback at age 40 at the Olympics.
Allyson Felix, the most decorated female track and field athlete of all time, plans to come out of retirement in a bid to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“So many of us have been told not to do the big, bold thing,” Felix told TIME magazine in an interview published on Monday.
“You know, at this age, I should probably be staying home and taking care of my kids, doing all that. And just, why not? Let’s flip it on its head. Let’s go after the thing. Let’s be vulnerable.”
The 40-year-old Los Angeles native, a seven-times Olympic gold medallist, would be appearing at her sixth Games if she qualifies for LA28.
Felix, who retired after the Tokyo Olympics with 11 Olympic medals, has said one of the few regrets of her career was never having the chance to compete at a home Games.
Before retiring in 2022, she became an outspoken advocate for athletes who become mothers and want to keep their careers going.
“When I was competing, you just heard this roar for host-country athletes at the Olympics,” Felix told TIME. “I would love to experience that.”
Felix, who is a member of the LA28 Organizing Committee Athletes’ Commission, said she would regret not attempting a comeback.
“I would probably be upset at myself if I just didn’t give it a try,” she said. “However it turns out, I’ll still be there with my kids, hanging out and cheering everybody on.”
A mother of two, Felix has been a leading advocate for women in sport. She broke with longtime sponsor Nike after a contract dispute following the birth of her first child and later co-founded Saysh, a women’s footwear and apparel company.
She told TIME she had drawn inspiration from athletes who have continued competing into their 40s, including Tom Brady, LeBron James and Lindsey Vonn.
Felix’s place at the Los Angeles Games is not guaranteed. She would first have to navigate the highly competitive US track and field qualification system.