Athlete and Alison Felix launched this type of childcare grant program for athlete mothers

When Olympic sprinter Alison Felix wrote in the New York Times Op-Ed in May 2019, when she announced that she was splitting up with Nike, it came as a shock to the industry. Not only is she ending a nearly 20-year relationship with the sneaker giant, she is describing it very openly. Felix opened up about the brand’s unfair treatment for pregnant athletes, which he first noticed after deciding to start a family in 2018 and then offered a 70 percent pay cut during contract negotiations. His departure highlighted Nike’s shortcomings in supporting pregnant athletes (the brand changed its policy a month later, ensuring that girls were not financially penalized for having children), but this led to great debate. Many of the challenges athlete-mothers typically face.

Despite becoming the most decorated athlete in the history of the World Athletics Championships, and now raising her two-year-old daughter Cameron and her fifth Olympics, reducing these inequalities is a top priority. Training for sports. It has played a key role in the partnership with its sponsor Athlete since July 2019. Much of what initially attracted the champion runner to the Gap-owned sports apparel brand focused on women’s empowerment, and made it a point for her to participate. Power of She has sponsored events such as the (M) Power Hour Series over the past two years. Now, Felix and Athlete have teamed up with The Women’s Sports Foundation to launch a new initiative: The Power of She Fund: Childcare Grants.

Announced today, the first event of its kind to fund childcare costs for professional-athlete mothers traveling for competitions, pledges 000 200,000. “It’s very important for me and the athlete, our partnership proves that I am more than just an athlete,” Felix said in a press release, adding that his contract made him compete with Camry. The provision is also included. “However, not everyone gets this kind of support from a partner or sponsor. These grants show the industry that all mother-athletes have the same broad support to participate in their athletic endeavors. Is required. “

The first grant recipients – a total of nine athletes, six of whom will go to the Tokyo Olympics later this month – will each receive $ 10,000 from the fund to cover childcare costs so that they can compete without any hassle. “Balance training is not always a beautiful film as a full-time mother,” grant sitting volleyball player, mother of three, and recipient Lora Webster in a press release. Without nearby families in the U.S. to help with child care, most of the Paralympian training takes place at home, with her children acting as coaches. “There are a lot of situations where we can’t justify the cost of a baby sitter above the cost of the gym and training platform, so my training will get out of the way,” she explained. “So, this money has given us such a big relief over the last few weeks.”

Power of Shea Fund: The Childcare Grant announces its next group of recipients in October and any mother-athletes who need support for their childcare costs are invited to apply. “The cost of caring for children is one of the biggest challenges facing mother-athletes who want to stay in the sport,” Deborah Antoine, CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation, said in a press release. “These funds will help provide financial relief so that these energetic and exciting women can continue to compete at the highest level in their sport.”