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CNN Live Today

Interview With Allyson Felix

Aired June 10, 2003 - 10:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's certainly not easy catching up to one of the fastest sprinters in the world, but Allyson was kind enough to get into the slow lane for us just for a moment so we could talk to her, and she is now in Los Angeles. Good to see you, Allyson. Well, congratulations on your latest feat.
ALLYSON FELIX, WORLD RECORD HOLDER: Hi. Pleasure to be here. Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: That is pretty incredible. So here you have admired Flo-Jo, you admire Marion Jones, and now you're in that very same category. So when do you put your Olympic hopes on the track?

FELIX: Well, the trials are next summer, so that's definitely my goal, and where I'll be headed.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So you said there were an awful lot of decisions that you don't like to have to make right now, and you are confronted with a whole lot of decisions. Like what? What are some of those decisions? I see your ear piece fell out. What are some of the decisions that you are not enjoying having to make these days?

FELIX: It's definitely just things about going pro and just different things like that. So there's definitely challenges and what lies ahead in my future.

WHITFIELD: And is it difficult because you're not sure whether you -- to pursue a professional career as a track star, would that conflict with any kind of dreams you have of going to college, or what's the real dilemma?

FELIX: You know, it's just a challenge. You know, there's pros and cons both ways. So either way you look at it, there's going to be different things.

WHITFIELD: So I imagine there are a lot of coaches kind of knocking on your door, as well as a lot of colleges right now. You are just a few days away from the end of your senior year. What has it been like fielding all these inquiries about you?

FELIX: It's been a challenge, but it's all a blessing, and I take it that way, and just take one day at a time and take everything slowly.

WHITFIELD: So what kind of secrets can you reveal, perhaps, on your training? You said you've got a brother, your brother, Wes, who is already a college sprinter. Do you ever kind of run with him or does he kind of help you out on training?

FELIX: We definitely help each other. We are there for each other. We support each other. And we watch videos together. So we help each other that way. We never really train together or anything like that, but just the support is good to have.

WHITFIELD: You've clearly outrun most of your competitors. You go to a private school, and when you have your -- your matches across the state of California and elsewhere, do you kind of approach the starting blocks like, I got this?

FELIX: Oh, no. You never go into a race like that. It's always, definitely, a challenge, and in the less competitive races, you can just work on different aspects of your race. So that's how I kind of look at the less competitive things, as well as competitive races.

WHITFIELD: So when did this interest in track and field start for you? When did you realize that not only do I have an interest, but I have actually got the talent for this?

FELIX: It was probably after my ninth grade season when I had made state. I saw the potential there, and that is when I decided to get serious about it and get in the weight room and things of that nature.

WHITFIELD: So you go to the Mexico City -- the Juniors, the championships there. When you got there and saw this huge arena, all the folks who have come from all over the world for this, was it pretty intimidating, or did you kind of treat this like yet another high school track meet?

FELIX: You know, I think it was more exciting than intimidating. I was just so excited to be there, and I had never been in a crowd, you know, that large before. So I kind of took it as that. Really exciting.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Well, fantastic, Allyson. Congratulations, and I know folks are knocking on your door, but it sounds like your parents and your brother are all helping you try to make the right decisions.

FELIX: Definitely.

WHITFIELD: So good luck to you, and I'll sure we'll be hearing a lot more about you.

FELIX: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Thanks a lot.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired June 10, 2003 - 10:35   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's certainly not easy catching up to one of the fastest sprinters in the world, but Allyson was kind enough to get into the slow lane for us just for a moment so we could talk to her, and she is now in Los Angeles. Good to see you, Allyson. Well, congratulations on your latest feat.
ALLYSON FELIX, WORLD RECORD HOLDER: Hi. Pleasure to be here. Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: That is pretty incredible. So here you have admired Flo-Jo, you admire Marion Jones, and now you're in that very same category. So when do you put your Olympic hopes on the track?

FELIX: Well, the trials are next summer, so that's definitely my goal, and where I'll be headed.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So you said there were an awful lot of decisions that you don't like to have to make right now, and you are confronted with a whole lot of decisions. Like what? What are some of those decisions? I see your ear piece fell out. What are some of the decisions that you are not enjoying having to make these days?

FELIX: It's definitely just things about going pro and just different things like that. So there's definitely challenges and what lies ahead in my future.

WHITFIELD: And is it difficult because you're not sure whether you -- to pursue a professional career as a track star, would that conflict with any kind of dreams you have of going to college, or what's the real dilemma?

FELIX: You know, it's just a challenge. You know, there's pros and cons both ways. So either way you look at it, there's going to be different things.

WHITFIELD: So I imagine there are a lot of coaches kind of knocking on your door, as well as a lot of colleges right now. You are just a few days away from the end of your senior year. What has it been like fielding all these inquiries about you?

FELIX: It's been a challenge, but it's all a blessing, and I take it that way, and just take one day at a time and take everything slowly.

WHITFIELD: So what kind of secrets can you reveal, perhaps, on your training? You said you've got a brother, your brother, Wes, who is already a college sprinter. Do you ever kind of run with him or does he kind of help you out on training?

FELIX: We definitely help each other. We are there for each other. We support each other. And we watch videos together. So we help each other that way. We never really train together or anything like that, but just the support is good to have.

WHITFIELD: You've clearly outrun most of your competitors. You go to a private school, and when you have your -- your matches across the state of California and elsewhere, do you kind of approach the starting blocks like, I got this?

FELIX: Oh, no. You never go into a race like that. It's always, definitely, a challenge, and in the less competitive races, you can just work on different aspects of your race. So that's how I kind of look at the less competitive things, as well as competitive races.

WHITFIELD: So when did this interest in track and field start for you? When did you realize that not only do I have an interest, but I have actually got the talent for this?

FELIX: It was probably after my ninth grade season when I had made state. I saw the potential there, and that is when I decided to get serious about it and get in the weight room and things of that nature.

WHITFIELD: So you go to the Mexico City -- the Juniors, the championships there. When you got there and saw this huge arena, all the folks who have come from all over the world for this, was it pretty intimidating, or did you kind of treat this like yet another high school track meet?

FELIX: You know, I think it was more exciting than intimidating. I was just so excited to be there, and I had never been in a crowd, you know, that large before. So I kind of took it as that. Really exciting.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Well, fantastic, Allyson. Congratulations, and I know folks are knocking on your door, but it sounds like your parents and your brother are all helping you try to make the right decisions.

FELIX: Definitely.

WHITFIELD: So good luck to you, and I'll sure we'll be hearing a lot more about you.

FELIX: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Thanks a lot.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com