Felix, an Olympic gold medalist, opened up about how her journey into motherhood has inspired her to become an activist for maternal health. Felix welcomed her daughter in 2018, and the experience highlighted for her how women of color are discriminated against in hospitals.

“When you speak your truth, things happen.”@allysonfelix is one of TIME’s Women of the Year https://t.co/avg0nD7g6S pic.twitter.com/XenAX7lank

— TIME (@TIME) March 8, 2022

“I think we’re really seeing women of color, our pain is not believed,” she said at the event, according to Time. “We have to advocate for our own health. There’s so much implicit bias in the medical field. We need to change that and listen to and believe women.”

“I feel so fortunate I was able to walk out the hospital with my family and that’s not the case for so many women. What’s heartbreaking is so many of these deaths are preventable,” she continued.

Time Magazine Women of the Year

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