Alexandra Allred - Author, Speaker, Athlete  Motivational Speaker from Dallas, TX

Allred's message: You CAN change your corner of the world! Alexandra Allred won the U.S. Nationals in September 1994, making sports history as she was named to the first women's bobsled team. She was named Athlete of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee for her sport and made international news as she was also pregnant at the time. She appeared in Sports Illustrated, numerous newspapers and magazines around the world, including appearances in PBS and HBO documentaries, while she fought to have women included in the Olympic Games. Allred co-authored the US women's by-laws and secured the women's first national sponsor. When the International Olympic Committee announcement women would be included in the Olympic Games, Allred retired and began playing professional women's football for a feature with Sports Illustrated. Since, established herself as an adventure writer, acting as a test pilot, driving and writing about the only Gravity Car in existence. At Volvo's request, Allred was flown to an undisclosed location to drive the environmentally-friendly vehicle, testing its speed, suspension system, and overall ride. She's donned dog attack suits, outrun beefalo (that's a cow/buffalo mix), went through a citizen's fire academy all in the name of a goods story. Her contribution to medical and sports history came while pregnant with her second child. Allred took part in a study with the renowned Dr. James Clapp III on how extreme exercise affects the placenta. Dr. Clapp was particularly interested in Allred because very little data had been collected on sprint training, plyometrics and heavy weight lifting. At five months pregnant, Allred was squatting 375 lbs. and clocked at 21 MPH on sprint drills. Her workout regimen was and is used by both the United States and the International Olympic Committee for pregnant athletes today. Allred earned her second black belt while pregnant with her third child and today is a 4th degree black belt, teaching martial arts, kickboxing, boxing, and bootcamps at a community college and gym outside Dallas, Texas. The author of more than 20 books, countless national magazine titles, writer/director of an award-winning documentary, Allred began giving free fitness classes to those in the special needs population, including those diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease as Allred says, "I never liked being discriminated against and I'm damned sure not going to let anyone else be either!" Allred holds a Masters of Science, is currently earning her doctorate, and established the non-profit F.U.E.L. (Fitness Unlimited for Every Level). As the daughter of a U.S. Diplomat, Allred lived in remote places such as Baghdad, Iraq; Tunis, Tunisia and Moscow, Russia and experienced firsthand the effects of discrimination and abuse against women and children. This, she says, was the launching pad to her writing career. Allred worked with U.N. officials to incorporate 'Games for Girls' as part of their educational program to third world nations, was nominated Mom of the Year by for her contributions to research in obstetrics and gynecology, and has appeared in such publications as Muscle&Fitness Hers, Self, Fit, Self Defense for Women, Shape, Good Housekeeping, Redbook magazines and in USA Today, Dallas Morning News, New York Times, and the Washington Post, to name a few. She has appeared on NBC, also blogging for NBC's coverage of the Olympic Games, Ricky Lake Show, CBS, NBC, ABC News affiliates, the Oxygen Channel, BBC and ABC Australia. In 2005, she was awarded the Amelia Bloom Award for her book, Atta Girl and served as an expert witness for Title IX legal cases. In response to the lack of information available to parents and teens concerning athletic scholarships, she co-authored Athletic Scholarships for Dummies (2007). Believing that you can fight City Hall, Allred took up another cause in 2004 when her son was diagnosed with environmental asthma. "This," she has said, "was never a fight I wanted." After moving to Midlothian, Texas – the cement capital of Texas and holder of the largest hazardous waste burning permit in the United States – her son became suddenly ill. Allred arranged to have Erin Brokovich speak before her town and joined forces with the environmental group, Downwinders at Risk.org. She testified before the EPA and US Senators and House of Representatives. She lobbies on the Hill, was named Air Ambassador, working with Eartjustice and is the national spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. In 2012, Allred was flown to the London Olympic Games to speak before the International Olympic Committee on health issues for athletes. In 2015, Allred was nominated as a White House Champion of Change for Public Health and, in addition to blogging for NBC Olympic coverage for two Olympic Games, Allred appeared on the White House website. What's next for Allred? Find out.