Allyson Felix, 35, has been staying fit and flexible by finding ways to keep up her training regimen amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
She told PEOPLE that the global health crisis has changed how she trains and forced her to be creative ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics.
She said her time as an athlete during the pandemic has been “really challenging,” adding, “I’ve trained at parks and in the street and kind of empty baseball fields,” before noting that she has worked out “all over the place.”
Felix added, “The stay-at-home orders have really been a struggle. Our facilities have been shut down and we’ve had to really turn to get creative.”
She said she has been keeping a positive attitude despite the change in routine, adding that it is “really just being able to pivot.”
“I think that’s what everyone is facing [and] trying to figure out,” the track and field sprinter said. “So I’m in the same boat, just taking it day by day and doing the most with what I can.”
“It was something that was really hard to deal with,” Felix continued. “As an Olympic athlete, timing is everything and you make so many sacrifices to be able to be ready in the moment. So when I learned that it wasn’t going to be happening, it was pretty crushing.”
“I had to take space to deal with that,” she added, “to grieve that, and then pick up the pieces and figure out how am I going to be ready a year from now?”
The 3-time world champion said, “Everyone has been experiencing loss in some form, whether that’s the extreme of loss of life or loss of jobs. It quickly reminds me of how much I’m blessed with and [that I have] so many things to be grateful for.”
Felix has been preparing for the Games with the help of Bose and their Bose Frames Tempo, a pair of high-performance sport sunglasses that helps you “to hear your music and your surroundings at the same time for a workout unlike any other,” according to their website.
“I love that they’re designed specifically for sports because they have such a secure fit, they’re comfortable and they’ve just really been an asset to my training,” she said. “Whether it’s the intense stuff that’s for my profession or if it’s just casually going for a run. I’ve loved really integrating them into my everyday training plan.”
Felix said she loves to listen to Beyoncé while using the frames. She told PEOPLE, “I’m a huge fan. I really love upbeat music that gets me feeling ready to get into my alter ego and tackle whatever’s coming my way.”
