# Breaking the Kiss of Death: Allyson Felix's Journey to Empowering Women Athletes and Mothers %%[[(Allyson Felix, 2022)]] %% I recently listened to Allyson Felix, who [[(Allyson Felix, 2022)|spoke at a TED Talk]]. Felix is an Olympic champion. And a mother. Both of which she talks about during the TedTalk. About the fear that women face when considering having children. The fear of doing so whilst pursuing their careers. Particularly in sports. %%[[getting pregnant can be a kiss of death in women's careers]] %% %%[[women face tough choices when balancing careers with personal responsibilities]] %% This got me thinking. Getting pregnant can be a "kiss of death" in *any* woman's career. And women face tough choices when balancing careers with personal responsibilities. %%[[we have got to stop forcing people to choose between parenting and doing the work that they love]] %% ![[Quote Allyson Felix.excalidraw.svg]] %%[[creating a new normal after the pandemic]] %% But as women, we shouldn't have to choose between parenting and doing the work we love. And as Felix points out, *this* is the time for us to create a new normal. > "And as we all recover from the pandemic that has flattened us, let's just not rebuild the same version of the broken system that we had before. But let's learn and create something new." %%[[having it all does not mean doing it all]]%% One more essential point she makes, which is well worth remembering: 'having it all' does not mean 'doing it all'.