The Fast Life Interviews Allyson Felix

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To Read or Listen to the full Fast Life Interview with Allyson Felix discussing the 2/4 double, Olympic preparation and her track legacy click HERE

Nearly twenty-eight years ago, the brilliant flames from the Olympic Torch illuminated the southern California sky highlighting the still celebrated performances of Carl Lewis and Valerie Brisco totaling seven gold medals at the Games of the XXIII Olympiad in 1984 Los Angeles.

Just fifteen months later, in November of 1985, the same City of Angels would give birth to an equally brilliant future star of Track and Field, now on the precipice of making her own Olympic history, finds herself relying on the past. “It’s comforting knowing that I have those people around me just because they’ve done all this before and they’ve had success at what I’m trying to do,” says Allyson Felix who finds it “an advantage … to be able to pick their brains sometimes about things [and] rely on their knowledge and their wisdom.” 

The ‘who’ Felix refers to is her legendary track and field coach Bobby Kersee and LA’84 Olympic Gold Medalist Valerie Brisco who accomplished nearly three decades earlier what Felix is attempting to do today, win Olympic titles in the 200 and 400 meter races in London later this summer. “I’m still in the decision process right now. It’s amazing what Valerie did and that she was able to put it together and for me I’m not quite at that point to say I’m going to go for it yet,” reveals Felix while offering, “I’m training as if I’m going to do a double and then decide later on what’s best for me.”

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