Allyson Felix

Allyson Nicole Felix was born November 18, 1985, at Los Angeles. The father of her Paul Felix was an ordained minister at the Master's Seminary in Sun Valley, and their mother Marlean Felix was a school teacher at Balboa Magnet Elementary School. Felix showed a flair for sports early, and discovered her talent for sprinting while she was at the Los Angeles Baptist High School. After just 10 weeks of her first race, Felix was 2nd in the 200-meter race of the U.S. Indoor Track and Field Championship. Felix, who graduated high school in 2003, signed a sports contract with Adidas. She then attended the University of Southern California and studied elementary education. Felix was presented with her first Olympic prize at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens Greece. Felix ran 200 meters in 22.18s and set an all-time junior world record. She became the world's youngest champion in 200 meters during the Helsinki World Championships. She defended this title in 2007, beating her longtime Jamaican opponent Veronica Campbell. Felix was a regular competitor in London, Beijing Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo. She consistently placed at the top of the podium in all events.