Olympian Allyson Felix feared she wouldn't be 'top level' after having a baby

Olympic sprinter Allyson Felix was 10 months postpartum when she smashed Usain Bolt’s gold-medal record in October 2019.

At the time, Felix, 34, was still adjusting to the demands of motherhood.

“So many things in my life had changed,” Felix told TODAY Parents. “My body had gone through so much and I was scared I wouldn’t be able to return to that top level, which is all I’ve ever known.”

Though Felix is rarely satisfied with a race, she acknowledged she was “very happy” the day she topped the fastest man on the planet.

“One of the best parts was hearing from other moms,” Felix revealed. “To feel like I could represent them, that was the coolest thing.”

Felix has her sights set on the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Though she is hungry for her seventh gold medal, she said she feels defeated when she misses her 15-month-old daughter Camryn’s bedtime because of work.

“That’s really rough for me,” Felix said. “I’m trying to be kind to myself. It doesn’t come naturally, but I’m trying. There are going to be days I feel like I’m not winning at home and that is OK.”

Felix has found that blocking off one day a week just for her and Camryn helps.

“That’s our quality time,” Felix said. “We’ll go to Gymboree or swimming lessons.”

The duo also love napping together.

Felix has been working with high-tech bed company Reverie. “My Reverie sleep coach helped me see that using sleep as ‘me time’ is great and I shouldn’t try to stay up and do everything,” Felix told TODAY Parents.