Allyson Felix Is Tackling The Olympic Childcare Gap

Allyson Felix is helping other Olympic mums pay for childcare.

Competing in her fifth Olympic games in Tokyo this summer the 35 year old has teamed up with her partner and sponsor Athleta and the Women's Sports Foundation to create ‘The Power of She Fund.’

The Power of She Fund childcare grants will provide $200,000 to professional mother-athletes headed to Tokyo, according to Athleta.

Each chosen athlete will receive $10,000 to "provide the resources and support that mum-athletes need to focus on excelling in their careers," the company wrote in their announcement. Athletes can apply until the end of August.

Childcare and access has remained a priority for Allyson Felix.

Speaking to Grazia in Juneon balancing life with a two year old she said: 'It's less about balance for me and more about integrating my family in my work. Sometimes that looks like my husband bringing my daughter to a training session and being able to spend time with her or looking over to her for motivation. I work things like that into my day because, for me, there's no way you can balance it all, it's just so difficult. Work wise, I try to make time for as much as possible but I do keep in mind that I can't say yes to everything.'

However, she knows not everyone can create this balance. Athletes training for the Olympics must rely on outside personal income or corporate sponsors to cover the costs of training, qualifying and attending the Olympic Games. This is a huge responsibility on its own, especially for those athletes without corporate sponsors. This makes the Games out of reach for many after you add childcare on top of that.

Allyson, the most decorated American female track-and-field Olympian in history, said: 'As a mom and an athlete, I know first-hand the obstacles women face in sports.' The athlete's Athleta contract includes provisions for her daughter Camryn, 2, to join her wherever she competes. But she added: 'But not everyone has access to this type of support from a partner or sponsor. These grants are about showing the industry that all mom athletes need this same comprehensive support.'