Allyson Felix: Who Inspired the Olympian's "Fighter Spirit"?
Allyson Felix hasn’t crossed the finish line quite yet.
The 40-year-old, who is the most decorated track and field athlete in history, announced that four years after retiring she is mounting a comeback at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
And a key reason behind the move is that Allyson wants the glory of running in her hometown, telling Time in an interview published April 27, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime homecoming and it is the only thing powerful enough to pull me back.”
The Olympic gold medalist privately began planning her return to the track last year, with her brother and business partner Wes Felix admitting to the outlet that when she broke the news, “I felt there was a zero percent chance that’s what she was going to say.”
But now, Allyson is sprinting towards her next goal. And she feels inspired by other top athletes who continued to play in their 40s, including Tom Brady, Lebron James, and Lindsey Vonn, the latter of whom recently teased a comeback of her own despite a devastating crash during the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics in February.
“So many of us have been told not to do the big, bold thing,” Allyson explained. “You know, at this age, I should probably be staying home and taking care of my kids, doing all that. And just, why not? Let's flip it on its head. Let's go after the thing. Let's be vulnerable.”
It won’t be an easy feat for Allyson, who is mom to Camryn, 7, and Trey, 2, with husband Kenneth Ferguson. Still, she believes, “I would probably be upset at myself if I just didn't give it a try.”
Allyson knows that she may encounter resistance, sharing “I totally get the person who sticks around too long and you’re like, ‘What are they doing?’”
She added, “I know, at 40, I am not at my peak. I have no illusions about that. I’m very clear in what it is and what I want to see. And so I hope it's seen that way.”
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
The sprinter last ran in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where she won her historic 10th Olympic medal after snagging the bronze during the 400m race. During the 2024 Paris games, two years after her retirement, she confessed she felt antsy watching from the sidelines.
“It was definitely mixed emotions,” she told Time. “There were moments where I was like, ‘Oh, this is so great. It’s so exciting to be in the stands and on the other side.’ And then there were moments where I was, ‘You know, I miss this feeling.’”
With Team USA’s track and field GOAT planning her return, read on to check out some more historic Olympic moments…
Sarah Stier/Getty Images
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo
The Norwegian cross-country skier earned six gold medals at the 2026 Olympics, bringing his career total to 11 and making him the most-awarded gold medalist in Winter Games history.
Jiang Qiming/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
Jordan Stolz
The American speed skater didn't just earn gold in the men's 1000m, he also set a new Olympic record with a time of 1:06.28.
(Days later, he set yet another Olympic speed skating record.)
Hu Huhu/Xinhua via Getty Images
Pinheiro Braathen
The ski racer danced his way into the history books when he won Olympic gold. Not only did the medal mark Brazil's first Winter Games medal in history, but it was also the first for all of South America.
Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Chloe Kim
With her silver medal win in the women's snowboarding halfpipe, the Team USA athelete became the first woman to win three consecutive medals in the event.
She also became the first female snowboarder to land a cab double 1080 in an Olympic halfpipe final.
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Laila Edwards
The 22-year-old is the first Black woman to play for Team USA women's hockey at the Olympics.
Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Regina Martínez Lorenzo
The cross-country skier is the first woman to represent Mexico in the sport at the Olympics.
François-Xavier MARIT / AFP via Getty Images
Cory Thiesse & Korey Dropkin
The Americans earned the Unites States' first medal in mixed doubles curling with their silver medal finish.
Al Bello/Getty Images
Nicole Burger
The skeleton athlete is the first South African woman to represent her country in the event at the Olympics.
Federica Vanzetta/Nordic Focus/Getty Images
Ben Ogden
The Team USA cross-country skier ended a 50-year medal drought for the United States in the men’s sprint classical race when he picked up a silver medal.
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