[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 174 (Thursday, November 10, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF RECORD-SETTING TRACK AND FIELD OLYMPIC GOLD 
                         MEDALIST ALLYSON FELIX

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KAREN BASS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 10, 2022

  Ms. BASS. Madam Speaker, today I would like to honor Allyson Felix, 
who lives in my district, for her illustrious track and field career. 
Ms. Felix finished her 20-year international career by winning bronze 
and gold medals on U.S. relay teams at the July 15-24 World Athletics 
Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Ms. Felix holds the distinction of 
winning more medals than any United States track and field Olympian in 
history, male or female. She has competed and won in five straight 
Olympic games, medaling in Athens, Beijing, London, Rio, and Tokyo.
  Ms. Felix joined the track team at LA Baptist High School in North 
Hills, California, mentored by Coach Jonathan Patton. During that time 
Ms. Felix ran the 200 meter in the Mexico City World Junior 
Championship, finishing with a time of 22.11 seconds, the fastest 
recorded time for a high school girl in history.
  She won her first silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens 
while enrolled at the University of Southern California. She went on to 
graduate with a degree in elementary education.
  Her ``firsts'' continued when, at the 2005 Helsinki World 
Championship, she became the youngest person to win in the 200 meters 
race. Two years later she defended that title at the 2007 Osaka World 
Championships and became just the second female athlete to win three 
gold medals at a single IAAF World Championship in Athletics.
  She has also used her platform to speak out on disparities in pay for 
athletes during and after pregnancy, and disparities in care for Black 
people giving birth. Her 2019 New York Times op-ed on pregnancy pay 
discrimination prompted public outcry and a Congressional inquiry. That 
year, Ms. Felix also testified before the House Ways and Means 
Committee on Black maternal mortality after suffering life-threatening 
pre-eclampsia while carrying her daughter.
  Ms. Felix has won a total of eleven Olympic medals: one bronze, three 
silver, and seven gold, including her most recent gold and bronze 
medals at the Tokyo Olympics. The Nation, our state of California and 
our city of Los Angeles can feel justifiably proud of her 
accomplishments both on and off the field.

                          ____________________