Allyson Felix wearing the Allyson Felix + Athleta collection

When you unroll your yoga mat or lace up your running shoes, the actionand sweatthat follows can transform your mood, mind and body, no matter how old you are. Athleta is capturing that through their Power of She campaign and Athleta Girl (Em)Power Hour episodes. Our mission is to ignite confidence in women and girls everywhere and this comes to life as the Power of She, says Katy Miller, Senior Director of Athleta Girl. As a brand by women, for women, we are deeply committed to supporting the next generation of girlsand we know she finds her strength through movement and connection. Theres never been a more meaningful time to be a girl. Our (Em)Power Hour series is meant to encourage girls to keep them in the game, even when life may get challenging.

The (Em)Power Hour series was created to keep women and girls inspired during this difficult time when theyre disconnected from their regular routine with friends and teammates, particularly helping girls feel less alone and keeping them active. We believe that playing sports, participating on teams and doing activities she loves will help build friendships and foster strength and confidence that will carry her through her life, Miller says. And (Em)Power Hour is a physical manifestation of this mantra. We hope that by hearing athletes they revere talk about their personal journey in overcoming obstacles, and joining them in easy sprints and routines at home, girls will be reminded of the importance of perseverance, staying positive and cherishing the friendships created through sports.

Allyson Felix wearing the Allyson Felix + Athleta collection

Athleta Girl (Em)Power Hour Episode 2 is airing on September 5 at 10am PT/1pm EST on YouTube Live and will feature Gabi Butler and Lexi Brumback, the stars of Netflix docuseries Cheer, teaching warm-up routines, followed by a Q&A moderated by Tunde Oyeneyin, an elite Peloton instructor with a mission to inspire and motivate others. We wanted to feature young women who have powerful voices in sport, Miller says. For anyone who has watched Cheer, Gabi and Lexi both showed us what it means to stay in the game and how powerful the support of a team and coach can be in fueling your confidence.

Playing sports as girls gives them skills they carry for the rest of their lives. According to the Women in Sports Foundation, 60% of women executives credited sport participation with helping them cultivate an understanding of what it took to compete, plus another study found that 94% of women in the C-Suite played sports growing up. Girls drop out of sports at more than twice the rate of boysyet we know sports build friendships, confidence, resilience and determination and skills to carry women and girls through their life, Miller says.

Athleta Girl (Em)Power Hour episodes and the Power of She campaign are trying to change that, with their partner Olympic athlete Allyson Felix fighting alongside them. Felix created a capsule collection for women and girls in partnership with Athleta and is setting an example for them to follow. Allyson is not just an athlete, but a mother and an activist, Miller says. Shes a living vision of our purposeas a mom she understands the confidence you need on and off the track, and how to pass that down to young girls, like her daughter Cammy. Designed by women, for women and girls, the partnership and the newly launched capsule collection both signify what it means to define your own legacy. Together we hope to help women and girls feel their bestin and out of the game. She constantly uses her platform to push for a more equitable world for women athletes in sport and shes the ultimate example of empowerment. This message is something we want all girls to see and hear. Its about never giving up and believing in yourself and supporting your fellow women and girls to find their power.

The Allyson Felix + Athleta collection

Felix, who is one of the most decorated track and field athletes of all time with six gold Olympic medals and three silver medals, tells us all about her role with Athleta and their shared mission to empower girls everywhere.

Why were you interested in partnering with Athleta? Historically, we have seen such a disparity with sponsorships for women as compared to men and women are really lagging so far behind. For mewhat I have seen in my experience and what I have learnedis really to hold brands accountable to what they market and how they are tangibly bringing their beliefs into practice. It has to be more than words in a campaign. You have to be able to see that through the business holistically. What is really special about the partnership with Athleta is that its truly at the core of who they are. I think thats why our missions align so well. They stand to empower women and girls and that really speaks to who I am and what I want to accomplish as well. It was always a very authentic partnership. When I signed with Athleta, I was at a place where I only wanted to do things that were meaningful. I wanted to be able to have a partnership that I was proud of, not just about all the things that were done publicly but truly having a voice. I remember one of my first meetings formally with Athleta and sitting at a table surrounded by female leadership and it was something I had never experienced before. I was heard, and I was seen. I really love how they are redefining how sponsorship looks and looking at an athlete holistically. Im not just an athlete, but they see me as an activist and a mother, and they want to celebrate and shine a light on those things as well. Thats a model that needs to be pushed forward for women and people in general.

Last year you spoke out in a New York Times Op-Ed piece about sponsors not supporting women during maternity leave. Why does this need to change? Maternity leave benefits should be non-negotiable and many female athletes live in a world where this is just not a reality. As I mentioned earlier, the disparities between sponsorships for women and men are immense. We have to do better. We must do better. Having a baby shouldnt be a penalty or something you need to be viewed as lesser for. Motherhood is empowering, its transformative and essential. One thing that has been extremely clear to me during and post-childbirth is that you can be strong and transform in a lot of different ways. Thats something that I want my daughter, Camryn, to grow up with, and I want all young women to understand. I want them to know their worth and value, and I know that Athleta is truly committed to that by what they are producing. When I announced my partnership with Athleta last year, I was proud to be a living example of how things can be different and how we can break the mold. Its been an exciting year working side by side with the Athleta team and paving the way forward.

Allyson Felix wearing the Allyson Felix + Athleta collection

Your deal with Athleta is impact based, not performance based. What does that mean? How else is your sponsorship with Athleta different? Throughout my career, I have learned that confidence is keyboth on and off the field. Athleta and I have a shared mission in wanting to inspire confidence in women and girls everywhere and my sponsorship reflects this. Where other brands have stipulations around winning a certain number of races, etc., ours is notits holistic. For example, my contract and financial agreements remain consistent throughout any future pregnancies I may have. We also made sure there are provisions for my daughter, Camryn, to join me when Im traveling for team Athleta. I truly co-designed the capsule collection alongside Athletas incredible female design team, advising on what a female athlete would need both on and off the track. And they listened to me.

What does the Power of She movement mean to you? It goes back to that empowerment moment and really celebrating women and girls in everything that they are. I think that Athleta does a wonderful job across the board of highlighting a lot of different girls, the activities that they are doing and the sports that they are involved in. I love that they always use real girls and real athletes in their campaigns and in interviews. I am always inspired by the mother daughter duos. It always comes back to empowering women and celebrating them for everything they are.

How do you hope to empower girls through the Athleta Girl Empower Hour? The Athleta (Em)Power Hour series aims to keep girls active, positive and motivated and it comes at a time when they need it now more than ever. I hope that by hearing how other young athletes in sports and fitness have navigated their own journeys, that they are inspired to stay in the game themselves. I absolutely love seeing these events come together and know they will have such a positive impact on Camryn in the futurewhen shes old enough to participate!

How does playing sports empower women and girls? It unleashes our potentialnot only the amazing power and capability of our bodies, but of our heart, mind and spirit.

Allyson Felix wearing the Allyson Felix + Athleta collection

What did playing sports growing up teach you? I grew up in a competitive household, always trying to keep up with my brother and the other kids in the neighborhood. I am grateful that my parents encouraged playing sports and discovering my skills outside of the classroom. Sport strengthened my ability to solve conflict and challenges in my life. It taught me how to lead and encourage my peers. Sport was the place I really found my voice and found my confidence.

Has giving birth to a daughter changed the way you view empowering girls? Absolutely. Its given me a whole different drive and motivation. I really want to show Camryn how to overcome adversity, teach her to keep fighting and what that really looks like. I have a platform and I want to affect change because of her and because of the world that she, and so many other girls, will grow up in.

How do you collaborate with Athleta in designing and creating activewear for the Allyson Felix + Athleta collection? What makes this partnership unique is that it was deeply collaborative, from beginning to end. I sat down and I talked about what is important to me as an athletewhat my standards are and to have pieces perform at the top level. For me, its about not having any distractions and having a really close to skin feel. I even brought to life elements of how I use training pieces in this collaboration. I love to layer and to be fully covered getting to the track so we have the track suit to start that off. As I get warmed up, I love to shed those layers and get down to those minimal pieces, which there are a number of in the collection. When I finish a workout, I am not typically going home. I might be running errands, grabbing coffee or going to the grocery store. I didnt want to sacrifice style either. I wanted pieces that would perform at the highest level, but I wanted them to look great as well. I dont think that a lot of other athletes and people who have collaborations are able to be involved at that level. Thats something that is really unique and special about this partnership. And I want women and girls to feel confident, empowered and strong. We were really thoughtful and mindful when creating them as well. There are little love notes written to the individual who puts them on.

Whats your favorite piece that youve designed? I have two favorite pieces from the line: The Legend Luxe Crop Half-Zip Jacket in Flora Mauve Metallic and the Legend High Neck Bra. This jacket is one of my favorites. Its a crop top and super easy to throw on. I love it and I love the mauve metallic color. Also, the Legend High Neck Bra looks so great. It looks very sleek and is practical to take down for training.

Excerpt from:

Olympian Allyson Felix Teams Up With Athleta To Empower Women Of All Ages - Forbes