SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Athleta and Allyson Felix will pioneer the next chapter of advocating for mothers by providing free, accessible child care, in partnership with nonprofit organization &Mother, for select track & field events in 2022. Together, Athleta and Felix aim to remove barriers for mom athletes who oftentimes must choose between their career and their families, empowering them to achieve holistic well-being for themselves and their families. The accessible child care program will kick off during Allyson’s last championship race in Oregon from June 23-26, 2022.
“My final season is not about winning medals but giving back to the sport and future mom-athletes and leaving it better for the next generation of women raising children,” said Felix. “Athleta and I set out to prove the power in supporting women holistically. As I reflect on the barriers that I faced when competing at the highest level alongside being a mother, I feel more committed than ever to leaving behind this legacy to ensure more women can both raise children and excel in their athletic careers.”
Working with &Mother—a non-profit dedicated to breaking the barriers that limit a woman’s choice to pursue and thrive in career and motherhood, co-founded by Felix’s Team USA teammate and two-time world champion, Alysia Montaño—the partners will provide free, accessible child care for any athletes, coaches and staff participating in the national championship through Vivvi, an employer-sponsored child care company. From this starting point, the collaborative project aims to demonstrate the critical importance of child care for mom-athletes to compete without compromise and elevate the need and impact of child care for gender equity within and beyond sports.
“Athleta’s purpose is to break down barriers to help women take care of themselves and each other. Our latest effort to support mom athletes with child care allows them to flourish in their professional careers while prioritizing their wellbeing and removing a barrier so prevalent in sports,” said Kyle Andrew, Athleta’s Chief Brand Officer. “No woman should have to choose between her career and her family. Last year we started this work by covering the cost of child care for mom athletes and we are proud to grow this support through our Power of She Fund and stand alongside Allyson in her advocacy journey to continue to bring meaningful change for women and girls.”
“Conversations with my peers in sports—including coaches, athletes, sports psychologists, nutritionists, physical therapist and more who are also mothers—brought to light that child care is not accessible in the way in which the sporting industry needed it to be. Our work is not an occupation that can be done from home, and we need to be able to access child care at sporting venues,” said Montaño. “This pilot program, starting with track and field, is an instrumental step to showing industries across the board ways to keep women in their careers.”
As part of Athleta’s continued advocacy to create more equity for women, the brand’s Power of She Fund, Felix and the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) have opened a third round of Child Care Grants to provide female athletes with $10,000 for necessary child care resources around training and competing. Qualified athletes can apply until July 12, 2022. To-date, WSF and Athleta have awarded more than $200,000 in Child Care Grants to help mom athletes including Elana Meyers Taylor and Kaleo Maclay to offset child care-related expenses such as caregiver fees, travel, meals and other expenses.
Additionally, to help raise awareness and funds, and advocate for disruption in the child care ecosystem, Athleta will host Felix’s last ever race of her final season at the professional level—in celebration of her legacy as a changemaker for female athletes. This street race in Los Angeles on August 7 will bring together a community of supporters and allies to participate in relay races, symbolizing a path to establishing and inspiring child care best practices for all women to reach their full potential.
To learn more about this latest child care initiative and Athleta’s partnership with Felix, please visit Athleta.com.
About Allyson Felix:
Athlete, mother and entrepreneur Allyson Felix is the most decorated Track & Field Olympian in history -- a nine-time Olympic medalist, six-time Olympic Champion. She has won a mind-blowing, twenty-five global medals at the Olympics and World Championships. Allyson is still honing her craft and seems to find passion and determination rivaled only by the greatest of the greats. At this stage of her career, Allyson has found passions off the track which she believes are her true calling. A passionate advocate for child care and women’s equity, she serves on the board of directors for nonprofit &Mother. She loves children and serves as a member of the Right To Play board hoping to raise awareness for underserved children in developing regions. Her determination is now carrying over to the business sector where she is the Founder and President of Saysh, a community-centered lifestyle brand for and by women; an investor in a plant-based protein bar company; and serves as an advisor to a fitness technology startup. She has hosted a wrap-up series for an Emmy-winning prime-time show on NBC. Allyson has accomplished so much, but her greatest accomplishment and her greatest love is her daughter, Camryn, who reminds her everyday that she can never stop fighting for what is right in this world. She continues to strive for greatness in all areas reminding us that we all can achieve things we never dreamed of.
About &Mother:
&Mother is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to breaking the barriers that limit a woman’s choice to pursue and thrive in both career and motherhood. Co-founded by Olympian, Alysia Montaño, our current initiatives focus on creating structural change that will allow full participation and success for mothers in sports to pave a supportive and enabling path for all mothers in all industries. At the intersection of systemic barriers, professional opportunity, and motherhood, our work points towards a future where the value of mothers in the workforce is intrinsic and motherhood is not a limiting factor in how women succeed professionally and personally. Join our community or learn more at www.andmother.org.
About Athleta:
A certified B Corporation, Athleta is a performance lifestyle brand with a mission of empowering a community of active women and girls. Athleta’s versatile premium performance lifestyle apparel is designed by women for women with inclusivity at its core. Founded in 1998, Athleta integrates performance and technical features across its collection to support women across their entire lifestyle – from yoga and training to travel and sleep. In 2016, the company launched Athleta Girl mirroring its signature performance in styles for the next generation. Based in San Francisco, CA and a Gap Inc. brand (NYSE: GPS), Athleta apparel is available at its more than 230 company-operated stores across the United States and Canada, through its catalog, and at Athleta.com.
About Vivvi:
Vivvi provides exceptional child care and early education. With programs across the country, including on-campus, in-home, in-office, care cash and virtual tutoring, Vivvi partners with employers of all sizes to make child care more accessible and affordable. By helping companies cater to working parents and providing a comprehensive vision for today’s families, Vivvi offers the most powerful tool for recruiting, retention and productivity. For more information, go to www.vivvi.com.
