Allyson Felix reacts to Olympic champion Kelsey Robinson signing with her management firm

Modified Mar 25, 2025 16:57 GMT

Allyson Felix welcomed American volleyball player Kelsey Robinson to her Always Alpha brand as she became the first Olympic champion to sign with the brand. Robinson is also the only second athlete to sign with the brand Felix co-founded in October last year.

Always Alpha is an athlete management company focused on women's athletes and their brand partners. The brand made its first signing, Kayla Jeter, last week and has now added Robinson to the list.

Felix was elated to welcome one of the most accomplished American volleyball players and wrote on her Instagram story:

"Yayyy!!! welcome to the squad."

Robinson is a Penn State alum who currently plays for LOVB Austin, which debuted this season. The 32-year-old had played all across Europe in the last decade while winning three Olympic medals, including gold with Team USA.

Meanwhile, Felix has also launched Saysh, a sportswear brand focused on women athletes, and believes Always Alpha is just the next step in her commitment to uplifting female athletes.

“For me, it's really been a journey. First, stepping out and creating Saysh and saying that women deserve better. [Always Alpha] has been the natural next step. As women's sports is thriving, we want to show up and say, ‘we see you in your full self and we're here to support you,'" Allyson Felix said [ via Forbes]

Felix is one of the most decorated sprinters in history, with seven Olympic gold medals. She also holds the record for most medals won by a sprinter at the World Championships, 13.

"I didn’t want to leave the company" - Allyson Felix on Nike

Allyson Felix during the Closing Ceremonies of the Paris 2024 Olympics. - Source: Getty

Allyson Felix's row with Nike was what inspired her to launch Saysh and Always Alpha. The Olympic champion was denied maternity perks by the brand in 2019 despite championing women's sports, leaving Felix disappointed and disheartened.

“I felt like from a marketing perspective, Nike always told these stories about supporting women," she told Giardian in 2024.

"I was disappointed, because I didn’t want to leave the company. I never intended to do that," she added

Felix further added that it amplified fear, given that she had seen her fellow athletes struggle during motherhood; thereby, she eventually began to address the issue herself through entrepreneurship.

“I think this amplified my fear, because I had seen teammates really struggle through motherhood and not be supported, and that to me was devastating.

Nike did change its policy after Felix opened up about the controversy in an op-ed in 2019. She, however, had signed with Athleta by then.

About the author

Zahid Rashid is an Olympic Specialist who covers track and field, gymnastics, wrestling and swimming at Sportskeeda. Having grown up watching Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps sweep golds, he looks forward to seeing their shades in Noah Lyles and Caeleb Dressel.

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