“It’s your time,” Allyson Felix ready to pass on the torch to Gabby Thomas at Paris Olympics after retiring in 2022

Gabby Thomas talks about how Simone Biles and Allyson Felix publicizing the importance of mental health has helped her as an athlete.

“It’s your time,” Allyson Felix ready to pass on the torch to Gabby Thomas at Paris Olympics after retiring in 2022

Allyson Felix and Gabby Thomas [Image Credit: Imago]

Allyson Felix and Gabby Thomas recently appeared in an exclusive interview with Elle where they spoke about competing on the world stage, the importance of mental health, life apart from the field, and much more. They emphasized how much mental health is crucial for an athlete and to know that medals don’t define anyone. 

Felix talks about how it’s important to remember that there’s a life apart from running on the tracks and how she learned about the most important lesson in the latter half of her life. She says that it’s time to pass on the torch to the next generation of players, like Gabby Thomas in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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After cementing her legacy at the Olympics with 7x gold medals, Allyson Felix noted, “It’s time.” Thomas is also confident to take on the challenge as she heads to confront some of the world’s stars at the Olympic stage, “All the work has been done.”

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Gabby, first of all, congratulations! I’m so excited for you. It’s your time and I’m excited to cheer you on in Paris.
Allyson Felix as per Rose Minutaglio of Elle.

Felix believes Thomas has what it means to stand tall in the track and field race at the Paris Olympics and “just say to trust yourself, trust your training” and every other thing will fall into place. Olympics is a stage where one gets to “put it all on display”, all the hard work over the years. 

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Allyson Felix talks about importance of life outside of track field

Gabby Thomas exclaimed that since she’s done preparing for the Games already and believes “it’s all going to be okay”, she is now out to “have fun”. Allyson Felix believes it’s an important trait to have and an invaluable lesson to learn, recalling her past mistakes on the field.

Allyson Felix [Image Credit: Imago]
Allyson Felix [Image Credit: Imago]

Felix talks about how she made many mistakes and later realized them after a race was over. She admits that she feels like “the world will end” if she can’t accomplish her goals or has a weak mindset. However, she later learned to have a life of her own.

It was one of the biggest lessons I ever learned, but I feel like I learned it way too late…life goes on – and whatever happened does not define you. This is not the entirety of your life.
Allyson Felix  as per Rose Minutaglio of Elle.

After being a mother of two kids, Felix’s world has opened up to new possibilities and routes. She admitted how she looks forward to enjoying a “lazy” day at home, just with family. Thomas also agrees on having a similar mindset.

Talking about mindset, Thomas believes that it’s important to keep mental health in check and take care of oneself. After seeing Felix and Simone Biles taking a stance on advertising mental health, Thomas noticed how it’s making a change in real time. “Years ago, that wasn’t the norm,” Gabby Thomas noted.

While Thomas is excited to be part of the Paris Olympics, she believes putting oneself first and foremost is important. Apart from being an athlete, Thomas and Felix enjoy supporting organizations and working with them. They furthermore love being surrounded by people who they can relax with whenever they have free time.

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