- Allyson Felix is the most decorated track and field athlete — man or woman — in American history.
- The 11-time Olympic medalist is set to retire from sprinting at the end of the 2022 season.
- Felix told Insider her 3-year-old, Camryn, is already "showing signs of loving running" like her parents.
Allyson Felix may just have a little runner on her hands.
The legendary sprinter — who has won more Olympic medals than any track and field athlete, man or woman, in American history — is set to hang up her spikes at the end of the 2022 season. But she could find herself back on the track not long after that.
Felix told Insider she and her husband — American sprinter and hurdler Kenneth Ferguson — "might not be able to avoid" having their 3-year-old daughter, Camryn, join the family business.
"I've really tried to push her in different directions," Felix said with a laugh. "But because she's been coming out to the track and coming to my training sessions, she definitely is showing signs of loving running and just running all over the place."
The 11-time Olympic medalist knows that her daughter would be saddled with lofty expectations in the sport based purely on her lineage and what her parents have achieved in their respective track careers. And while it's entirely possible Camryn — or "Cammy" — will be naturally speedy, Felix wants her to explore other sports and hobbies to discover what she enjoys without outside influence.
Still, she has a hunch that Cammy won't take the bait.
"I got her a tennis racket," Felix said. "I'm trying to [show her] the soccer ball, giving her all the things. But I don't know."
Part of the reason Felix opted to return for "one final year" after winning two medals at the Tokyo Olympics was because she wanted to "just soak it all up" and share the moment with her family. Camryn was undoubtedly a major factor in that decision.
"My daughter [is] getting to watch me run and actually understanding it now," Felix said. "And she loves cheering for me.
"It's definitely affecting her in a different way now," she added. "So that's really special to see, and I love it."