When team Heartbreak flew out to Los Angeles to meet Allyson Felix and Wes Felix, her brother, agent, & business partner, we were hyped for the opportunity to meet this dynamic duo: the most decorated Olympian in track & field history and the person who manages her career.
The meeting was set to take place at her high school track. This was by our request. With Heartbreak ready to launch Saysh, the brand Allyson and Wes cofounded, we thought it would be fun to talk about "starts" where her introduction to track took place.
The campaign tagline is: "This is just the start." It's about origin stories, humble beginnings, and the places we're all from. Even as the highest profile, highest achieving track & field athlete, there is nothing easy about starting and running a company, but a start is something we can all relate to. Allyson & Wes were once just kids racing each other. Allyson left basketball and tried out for track dressed like a hooper. Also, we're all from a place. Heartbreak was born in Boston. Allyson & Wes are the best of Los Angeles.
When we pulled up to the track, Jaime Banuelos opened the locked gate for us. He knew we were coming to see Allyson and, with deep pride, he shared that he worked there when she was racing in high school. Back then, the track was gravel. On meet days, he'd show up at 5:00 AM to "drag the track", smooth out the gravel. Then he'd line the whole thing, making all of the lanes, often by himself, sometimes with one other person. And his summary of what he saw, "Wow. From here to over there, she was taking like 10 seconds!" is sharp and wholly accurate. Shop Saysh now at Heartbreak catch the preview reel below.
Special thanks to the team at Heritage Christian School for being such great hosts.