Women's Health May 15, 2026 0 Comments

Allyson Felix’s Gritty Comeback: The Untold Struggles Behind Her LA Olympics Quest That Will Inspire Every Athlete

Ever wonder what it takes for a champion like Allyson Felix to trade retirement sneakers for racing spikes all over again—especially when she’s already got 11 Olympic medals tucked away? At 40, most of us might be cozying up on the couch, but Allyson’s curiosity about how far her body and spirit can still push her has sparked an electrifying comeback. It’s not just about chasing medals anymore; it’s about redefining strength, resilience, and self-worth beyond the track. As a mom of two and a trailblazer in advocating for athlete moms everywhere, she’s not just racing the clock—she’s challenging it. Curious to see how she’s pivoting her training and mindset for the 2028 Olympics? Dive in and get inspired by her incredible journey back to the start line. LEARN MORE

4 min read

Allyson Felix is the most decorated American track and field athlete in Olympics history, earning an impressive 11 medals across five different Games. When you’re as ambitious and hard-working as the mom of two is, that competitive drive doesn’t just disappear overnight, even if you’ve retired.

It can, however, evolve over time. And for Allyson, what was once a relentless hunt for medals has shifted to a curiosity about what her body and spirit are capable of. It’s that sense of discovery and self-possession that drove her to make a big announcement last month: At 40 years old, Allyson is coming out of retirement, setting her sights on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“I was really curious—at my age, what is possible? And how far can I push things?” Allyson tells editors Abigail Cuffey and Amanda Lucci on the latest episode of The Huddle, the Women’s Health podcast where we talk sports, sweat, and everything in between.

In the episode, Allyson opens up about her new approach to training, separating her self-worth from sports, and her continuing advocacy work.

Making a plan

Allyson had been contemplating a comeback for months before she ever made the news official, and she recalls the ah-ha moment when it all crystalized for her.

“I was at the track, and I was doing a workout where I really felt confident in the decision, where I was like, ‘This is something that I want to go for,’” she says. “I was still torn: Is this something I want to talk about? Or do I just do it privately? But I knew I wanted to see if it was there.”

While she’s been plenty active since retiring in 2022—she’s dabbled in everything from tennis to Pilates—Allyson has started to dial in her training and will ramp up her efforts as time goes on. But her regimen won’t look quite the same now as it did then. She’s older, yes, but technologies have also evolved.

“I’m being really vulnerable and doing this in real time, and so it’s all coming together right now,” she says of her plan. “Obviously, I’ve done some background things, but we’re still talking to people and learning about things that we want to incorporate in the training. At this age, I really want to think about being kinder on my body, so it’s a different approach.”

You can follow along with Allyson’s training on her podcast Built to Last, which she co-hosts with brother Wes.

A mental shift

Allyson admits that her return to track and field owes a big debt of gratitude to the internal work she did during her short-lived retirement. In fact, she probably wouldn’t be competing again if not for some serious self-reflection.

“I really went on this healing journey—there was so much identity work I had to do around leaving the sport, understanding who I am away from it,” she says. “If I hadn’t done that, I don’t think I would be able to do this at all, so it’s coming from a place of peace and feeling excited that no matter the outcome, I feel like I’m energized and excited to see what’s possible.”

What exactly did she learn about herself in the interim? “The most profound thing is that the results of what I was doing are not tied to my worth, and there’s so much more to me than sports. It’s one thing I’m passionate about, but so many other things fill my cup and are deeply the essence of who I actually am.”

Advocating for mothers

One of those passions has been—and continues to be—fierce advocacy for women and mothers. Allyson has frequently spoken out about the need for maternity protections for female athletes of all sports, and while she acknowledges there’s still plenty of room for improvement (paid family leave is available in only a quarter of states, for instance), she’s optimistic about the progress she’s seen happening.

“I think the culture has shifted,” she says. “I look at the landscape now, and I look at the number of female athletes who are having children in the peak of their career, and I love it. It’s so cool to see it’s happening, and it’s happened relatively quickly, where there is support there. That’s an area where I feel so hopeful. I think there’s more work just around the support, the systems, the ways that we can step up. In Paris [at the 2024 Olympics], having the nursery was incredible, but making that more of a standardized experience across sports—there’s obviously more to be done.”

Hear Allyson’s full conversation with Women’s Health, including how she’s managing her many endeavors, being a role model for her kids, and learning to ask for help, by clicking play on The Huddle.

Amy Wilkinson is a contributing entertainment editor at Women’s Health, where she edits the magazine’s celebrity cover stories and writes health features. She has previously held editor titles at Entertainment Weekly and MTV News. In 2021, Amy completed her 600-hour teacher-training at Core Pilates NYC to become a comprehensively trained Pilates instructor.