An Olympic Champion's Mindset for Overcoming Fear | Allyson Felix | TED

Summary

In this powerful speech, a six-time Olympic champion and world record holder shares her fear of becoming pregnant during her athletic career, fearing it would end her sponsorships and career. She challenges the 'kiss of death' stigma around pregnancy in sports and calls out the double standards of companies like Nike, who initially refused to offer maternity protections. After publicly confronting these issues, she successfully influenced Nike to change their policy and became an advocate for better support for mothers in sports. Her journey includes founding her own women's footwear brand, Saysh, and fighting for childcare policies in the Olympics, inspiring others to stand up for change.

Takeaways

• 🏃‍♀️ The speaker, a professional athlete, hid her pregnancy due to fear of losing sponsorships and career opportunities.
• 🤰 Pregnancy in sports like track and field is often seen as detrimental, with the speaker witnessing teammates hide their pregnancies.
• 🏅 Despite being a decorated athlete, the speaker faced a significant pay cut and lack of maternity support from her sponsor, Nike.
• 💼 The speaker argues that companies promote empowerment for women but fail to support them during motherhood, highlighting a 'rigged deal'.
• 🤝 After advocating for change, Nike eventually improved its maternity policy, offering 18 months of protection for female athletes.
• 📰 The speaker's public stance against Nike's policies led to broader industry changes, with other sponsors following suit to support mothers.
• 👟 Post-Nike, the speaker joined Athleta, a female-led brand, and later founded her own women's footwear brand, Saysh, emphasizing self-belief and empowerment.
• 👶 She raised funds for childcare at races, highlighting the need for support systems that acknowledge the reality of motherhood in professional sports.
• 🏆 The speaker returned to the Olympics postpartum, winning medals and becoming the most decorated American track and field athlete, setting an example for others.
• 🌟 The narrative calls for a societal shift towards valuing and accommodating parenthood in professional environments, not just in sports but across all fields.

Q & A

What was the speaker's fear that led her to train at 4am in the dark?

The speaker feared that if her pregnancy was discovered, her sponsors might withdraw their support, forcing her to choose between motherhood and her athletic career.

Why is getting pregnant considered the 'kiss of death' in track and field according to the speaker?

The 'kiss of death' refers to the fear and reality that pregnant athletes may face career-ending consequences, including loss of sponsorships and opportunities, due to societal and industry pressures.

What was the speaker's experience with Nike's maternity policy before she became pregnant?

Before her pregnancy, the speaker was already in a difficult renegotiation period with Nike, where they offered her 70 percent less pay than before, even without knowing about her pregnancy.

What specific request did the speaker make to Nike regarding her maternity contract?

The speaker asked for a clause in her contract that specified Nike wouldn't reduce her pay within 12 months of giving birth.

How did the speaker respond to Nike's initial refusal to extend maternity protection to all female athletes?

The speaker wrote an op-ed in 'The New York Times' criticizing Nike's maternity policy, which led to changes in Nike's policy and other sponsors following suit.

What change did Nike implement in their maternity policy as a result of the speaker's actions?

Nike extended their maternity protection to eighteen months for female athletes.

Why did the speaker decide to leave Nike and find a new sponsor?

The speaker left Nike because they were not ready to offer the same maternity protection to all female athletes and because of the contradictions between Nike's public image and the terms of her contract.

What did the speaker achieve at the Olympics two years after giving birth?

The speaker won a gold and a bronze medal at the Olympics, becoming the most decorated American track and field athlete of all time.

What brand of footwear did the speaker wear during her Olympic victory, and why was it significant?

The speaker wore Saysh, a women's footwear brand she founded, which was significant because it represented her taking control of her own narrative and value as an athlete and mother.

What is the speaker's call to action for creating a new normal in professional and personal life?

The speaker calls for an end to forcing people to choose between parenting and their professional passions, and for creating an environment that supports all aspects of life with generosity, humanity, and truth.

How does the speaker describe the role of fear in creating change?

The speaker describes fear as an invitation to create change, suggesting that acknowledging and facing fear is the first step towards making a difference, both for oneself and others.

Outlines

00:00

🤰 Pregnancy and Professional Fears

The speaker, a professional athlete, recounts her fear and anxiety during her pregnancy in 2018. She describes her rigorous training schedule and the fear of being discovered pregnant, which she believed could jeopardize her career and sponsorships. She highlights the harsh reality for female athletes in track and field, where pregnancy is often seen as detrimental to one's career. The speaker challenges the double standards of sports companies, such as Nike, which promote female empowerment yet fail to support female athletes during pregnancy. She shares her personal experience of renegotiating her contract with Nike, requesting protection against pay cuts after giving birth, which they agreed to only for her and not as a policy for all female athletes. This led her to publicly criticize Nike's maternity policy, which eventually prompted changes in Nike's policy and other sponsors following suit.

05:01

🏅 Overcoming Adversity and Creating Change

The speaker shares her journey after parting ways with Nike, emphasizing the importance of self-belief and values in overcoming fear and initiating change. She found a new sponsor in Athleta, a female-led company, and together they advocated for better childcare support for female athletes. The speaker's success at the Olympics post-pregnancy, winning gold and bronze, solidified her as the most decorated American track and field athlete. She also founded her own women's footwear brand, Saysh, after experiencing a lack of value and representation in the industry. The speaker calls for an end to the pressure on individuals to choose between parenting and career, and she encourages everyone to challenge the status quo and create a more supportive and equitable environment for all, regardless of gender. She concludes by inspiring the audience to bet on themselves and create change, even in the face of fear.

Keywords

💡Pregnancy

Pregnancy is the state of being pregnant, specifically when a woman carries an offspring within her body after conception until birth. In the context of the video, the athlete's pregnancy is a central theme, highlighting the fear and challenges she faced in continuing her athletic career while being pregnant. The speaker's secret pregnancy at 4am training sessions exemplifies the societal and professional pressures that can force women to hide such a natural life event.

💡Sponsorship

Sponsorship refers to the support, typically financial, provided by a company to an individual or team in exchange for advertising or endorsement opportunities. The video discusses the athlete's concerns about sponsors withdrawing support upon discovering her pregnancy, reflecting the commercial realities that can influence an athlete's career decisions and the potential for discrimination based on personal life events.

💡Maternity

Maternity pertains to the state or condition of being a mother, especially during pregnancy and shortly after childbirth. The video addresses the lack of maternity support and protection in professional sports, with the speaker advocating for better policies and conditions for female athletes who become mothers, challenging the notion that pregnancy is a 'kiss of death' for an athlete's career.

💡Fear

Fear is an emotional response to a perceived threat or danger. In the video, fear is a driving force behind the speaker's actions, as she describes the fear of losing her career and sponsorship due to her pregnancy. This fear is used to illustrate the broader challenges faced by women in balancing professional ambitions with personal life events.

💡Discrimination

Discrimination is the unfair treatment of a person or group based on certain characteristics, such as gender or pregnancy status. The video script discusses the discrimination faced by the athlete due to her pregnancy, suggesting that societal and professional norms often disadvantage women who become mothers, particularly in high-performance sports.

💡Advocacy

Advocacy is the act of supporting a cause or policy, often through public statements or actions. The speaker in the video becomes an advocate for better maternity policies in sports, using her personal experience to call for change and raise awareness about the challenges faced by pregnant athletes and mothers.

💡Nike

Nike is a multinational corporation known for its sportswear and equipment. In the video, Nike is mentioned as the athlete's sponsor, which initially did not offer adequate maternity protection. The speaker's negotiations with Nike and her subsequent decision to leave the company due to their policies serve as a pivotal moment in her advocacy for better support for mothers in sports.

💡Athleta

Athleta is a brand mentioned in the video as the new sponsor of the speaker after she parted ways with Nike. Athleta is described as a female-led and female-focused company that supported the speaker's advocacy for better maternity policies and childcare support for athletes, highlighting the importance of aligning with companies that share an athlete's values.

💡Childcare

Childcare refers to the care provided for children, especially by someone other than their parents. The video script discusses the need for affordable childcare for female athletes, emphasizing that children do not disappear when races begin. The speaker's efforts to raise funds for childcare at races underscore the practical challenges faced by mothers in maintaining their careers.

💡Olympics

The Olympics is an international multi-sport event held every four years, featuring summer and winter games. The video mentions the speaker's return to the Olympics after giving birth, where she won a gold and a bronze medal, becoming the most decorated American track and field athlete. This achievement serves as a testament to the possibility of successful motherhood alongside a high-performance athletic career.

💡Saysh

Saysh is a women's footwear brand founded by the speaker after she was left without a footwear sponsor. The brand is designed for and by women, reflecting the speaker's commitment to creating products that meet the needs of female athletes and her personal journey of empowerment and self-reliance.

Highlights

A professional athlete reveals the fear and secrecy surrounding her pregnancy and the potential impact on her career.

The athlete's rigorous training schedule of six days a week, five hours a day.

The fear of sponsors withdrawing support upon discovering her pregnancy.

The 'kiss of death' stigma associated with pregnancy in track and field.

Observations of fellow athletes hiding pregnancies and the difficult choices they face.

A critique of the double standards in sports sponsorships and maternity policies.

Nike's Girl Effect initiative and its purported support for women and girls.

The athlete's call for companies to celebrate, not punish, women who become mothers during their careers.

The athlete's personal experience with renegotiating her contract with Nike during pregnancy.

The revelation that Nike initially agreed to maintain pay for the athlete post-pregnancy but not for all female athletes.

The athlete's decision to leave Nike and publicly criticize their maternity policy.

The positive change that followed, with Nike extending maternity protection to eighteen months.

The athlete's success in finding a new sponsor, Athleta, and advocating for better childcare policies.

The athlete's return to the Olympics, winning medals, and setting a new record as the most decorated American track and field athlete.

The founding of Saysh, a women's footwear brand by the athlete, as a response to the lack of sponsorship.

A call to action for creating a new normal that values generosity, humanity, and truth in the workplace.

The importance of not forcing people to choose between parenting and their professional passions.

Encouragement for everyone to bet on themselves and create change, even in moments of fear.

The promise that taking a stand and creating change, despite the fear, is worth the effort.

Transcripts

One of the scariest moments of my career

started on a dark October morning in 2018.

I’m a professional athlete, and my training schedule can be a lot.

Six days a week, five hours a day.

It's intense.

Still, I never train that early.

But on this day,

a special type of fear brought me out at 4am before the sun.

A fear that someone might discover a secret I'd been keeping.

I was six months pregnant.

I was pregnant, and I was scared enough to train in the dark

so that no one would see the life that was growing inside of me.

I feared that if a fan or someone posted a photo,

that my sponsor would immediately change their mind

about wanting to work with me.

I feared that I would be forced to choose between motherhood

and being a competitive athlete.

I feared that the career I worked so hard to build

would disappear just like that.

You think I'm exaggerating, right?

How could a six-time Olympic champion, a 16-time world champion,

a world record holder,

possibly think that her career might be over by doing something

as natural as having a baby?

Well, I'm not exaggerating.

Getting pregnant in track and field has been called the “kiss of death.”

And it comes with a lot of fear,

just like for women in many professions.

I have been watching women that I respect

and teammates of mine hide pregnancies

since I was 19 years old.

I've seen women have to make gut-wrenching decisions

like deciding whether to recover their health

or return to the sport.

Deciding whether to stay in the hospital with a sick child or go to a race

so that they don't receive a further pay reduction.

I know what some of you might be thinking.

We all choose to get pregnant, right?

If a sponsor doesn't want to pay an athlete

who's not out on the track winning,

that's just part of the deal, right?

Well, I think the deal's rigged.

I think that companies want to have it both ways.

And I think it's time we change.

Sports companies love to tell women that they can have it all.

They can do it all, they can be it all.

We've all seen those inspirational ads.

I remember meeting with Nike leadership in 2010,

and they told me about an initiative they sponsored called the Girl Effect.

They promoted adolescent girls as the key to improving societies

around the globe.

They said they believed in women and girls.

And if I joined Nike,

I could empower them.

And I believed that.

But guess what?

Girls come from somewhere.

(Laughter)

And women having babies during childrearing years

is something that should be celebrated, not punished.

It should be a part of a normal, thriving, professional, athletic career.

And women in all fields should never feel the need

to hide a pregnancy, at 4am, in the dark,

so that they won't be photographed doing that thing that they love.

Thank you.

(Applause)

Remember how scared I told you I was when I was on the track that day?

My mind was racing with the consequences of my decision to start a family.

I had already been going through

a difficult renegotiation period with Nike,

and they were already offering me 70 percent less

than what I had previously been making.

And that was even before they knew about the baby.

Don't even get me started with the ageism

that is embedded in the capitalist dream.

So when I told them about my pregnancy,

I asked for a clause in the contract

that specified they wouldn't reduce my pay

within 12 months of giving birth.

They said yes.

But -- you knew there was going to be a "but", right?

But it was only a yes for me.

They weren't ready to offer that same protection for all female athletes.

They weren't ready to set the precedent.

A couple of days later, my agent called me.

Nike wanted to use me in a commercial for the Women's World Cup.

I couldn't believe it.

Nike wanted to use me to tell women and girls

that they could do anything,

even though the contract before me said the exact opposite.

I knew what I had to do.

I knew I had to leave.

I knew I was afraid,

but I did it anyways.

I wrote an op-ed in "The New York Times"

calling out Nike's maternity policy,

and I wasn't the only one.

(Applause)

My teammates and I, we helped turn the tide.

Now, Nike offers eighteen months maternity protection

and other sponsors --

(Applause)

And other sponsors like Altra, Nuun, Brooks and Burton,

they came forward and they announced their new guarantees for female athletes

who start families while being sponsored.

Too late for me,

but amazing for the women coming up now.

I didn't resign with Nike, and I'm here to tell the tale.

But more than that,

I'm here to tell you that you can do it, too.

Once you find the courage to believe in yourself,

your own worth, your own values,

it gets easier.

It's when you take a stand

that you start to understand how to overcome that fear

and how to make a change for yourself and sometimes for others.

I went on to find a new sponsor

in the female-led, female-focused Athleta,

and they helped me --

(Applause)

And they helped me challenge

the International Olympic Committee's childcare policy.

Together, we raised 200,000 dollars

for female athletes to be able to afford childcare when they go to races.

Because women have babies,

and these children don't disappear when the races begin.

I made it back to the Olympics two years after giving birth.

I won a gold and a bronze.

(Applause and cheers)

And I became the most decorated American track and field athlete of all time.

All while my daughter was watching.

Audience: Aww.

AF: I was running for so much more than for medals

or for a time on the track.

I was running as a representation for women and for mothers

and for anybody who had been told that their story was over.

I remember crossing that line in Tokyo and having such a sense of fulfillment.

I looked down at my feet

and for the first time in my entire career,

I wasn't wearing Adidas,

I wasn't wearing Nike.

I was wearing Saysh,

the women's footwear brand that I founded,

designed for and by women,

when I was left without a footwear sponsor.

Because I was tired of not being valued or able to show up fully as myself.

I learned that my voice has power,

and when I bet on myself, change is possible.

During the pandemic,

we all saw what happens when that thin line

between our professional and personal lives permanently blurs.

We have seen women step back, give up, drop out,

as having it all became doing it all,

and doing it all became impossible.

We have got to stop forcing people to choose between parenting

and doing the work that they love.

And we've got to stop pretending that we're not making those decisions

because the results affect us all.

Not just women, but men and our children, too.

By creating the environment that we all live, work,

love and raise our families in.

Isn't it past time that we call out the hypocrisy

and create a new normal?

One with real generosity, humanity and truth at the center,

not some misplaced sense of what business is or does.

We should say what we will tolerate.

And as we all recover from the pandemic that has flattened us,

let's just not rebuild the same version of the broken system that we had before.

But let's learn and create something new.

Each one of us has a role to play.

And you don’t have to be an Olympian

to create change for yourself or for others.

Everyone in this room can bet on themselves.

It will typically happen in moments of fear

when you don't see the path forward.

In my own experience, it was a terrifying decision,

but that will be your first clue.

That feeling of being terrified is your invitation to create change.

You have to acknowledge those feelings,

you have to brave them, and you have to fight to move forward.

It won't be easy.

You will be afraid.

Your voice will shake.

But what I can absolutely promise you

is that it will be worth it.

Thank you.

(Applause)