There have been several new records during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games that finished last week. One of them was that of US athlete Allyson Felix.

Felix surpassed the U.S. track and field record for most Olympic medals, held by Carl Lewis, after winning her 11th Olympic medal, a gold in the women's 4x400m relay.

The latest medal came just a day after the 35-year-old won bronze in the 400m. Of the 11 medals Felix has won, seven are gold, three silver and one bronze.

THE MOST DECORATED AMERICAN TRACK AND FIELD OLYMPIAN EVER. ?￰ﾟﾥﾈ?@allysonfelix | #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/clZUbEvPPo

— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2021

“I’m here by God’s grace”

This was her fifth Olympic Games and she said it will be his last after giving birth to her daughter by emergency C-section in 2018.

The day before she started to compete, she shared on her instagram how grateful she is for the opportunities granted to her by God.

“It might sound cliche, but getting to that starting line is an incredible victory for me. I’ve experienced the hardest years of my life in this journey and by God’s grace I’m here”, wrote Felix.

“It’s about so much more than what the clock says”

“As an athlete who was told I was too old, as a woman who was told to know my place, as a mother who wasn’t sure I would live to raise my daughter. I hope you see that for me, it’s about so much more than what the clock says”, Felix added.

When the athlete became pregnant, she had a contract to represent Nike clothing and was offered 70% less money to renew.

Felix made it public and Nike issued a statement, stressing that they will “not apply any performance-related reduction for a consecutive period of 18 months, beginning eight months prior to athlete’s due date”.

“My running is an amazing gift from God”

The US track and field medallist was raised in a Christian family “very involved in our church. I am so blessed to have my family and the upbringing that I did. It means so much to me to have two very godly parents who both have so much wisdom”, she told Athletes in Action.

“I came to know Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour at a very young age. I was nowhere close to the perfect child. I had my share of difficult times along with some disappointing choices that I made, but thankfully God never stops loving me”, pointed out Felix.

Although she did not start running very early, but just in her freshmen year of high school, Felix stresses that she feels “so blessed that God has given me the talent of running. My running is an amazing gift from God and I want to use it to the best of my ability to glorify Him”.