Gabby Thomas: Harvard to Olympic Gold
Gabby Thomas moments after winning gold in the 2024 Paris Olympics 200m race
Gabrielle “Gabby” Thomas made waves at the 2024 Paris Olympics, competing at the highest level of track and field and dominating her competitors. She’s finishing a clean sweep of three gold medals, and it makes you wonder how she’s honed her skills so finely to achieve such greatness. This article explores the peaks and valleys of Thomas’s career and what made her journey to the Olympics so inspiring.
Early Life and Career:
Thomas was born on December 7th, 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, but she would spend most of her life in Massachusetts. Her life didn’t always revolve around track — in fact, she was a softball and soccer player for several years before even entering the realm of running. Her mother recounted the strenuous effort of driving Thomas to all her extracurriculars and sports, but she always felt it was a blessing to see her daughter excel at everything she tried; the more and more Gabby practiced, the better results she received.
Joining Williston Northampton School’s track and field team, she almost immediately started to break records. Thomas would win her division’s championship races each year of high school, surprising both teammates and opponents.
Her level of athleticism would continue throughout college. Thomas was recruited by Harvard University, where she studied neurobiology. During her time at Harvard, she won 22 conference titles over six different events and set over six new records across all Ivy League schools. Not to mention, in her junior year Thomas became the first-ever NCAA Champion in Ivy League history by winning the 200m race in only 22.38 seconds. She continued her education at the University of Texas to major in public health and epidemiology, as her main goal is to combat the disparities in healthcare for people of color. She is a strong advocate for women’s and black rights, shown by her commitment to the Buford-Bailey Track Club and her work towards creating a women’s only track meet, while also maintaining her primary focus in healthcare.
Gabby Thomas (left) and Ngozi Musa (right) in their Harvard Track and Field uniforms
Overcoming the Late Bloom:
Many athletes pride themselves for running and training their entire lives, but Thomas had to overcome the obstacle of starting late. She didn’t truly begin training until her days at Harvard: thus she was labeled a “late bloomer” by various outlets. Her recruitment was a miracle. Thomas recounts that many schools weren’t interested in her skills. At that point in her life, her goal was to become a doctor, not an Olympian, and so Harvard became the logical choice to take her talents. She began to train more consistently and her accolades show the results of her hard work. Thomas would forgo her senior year NCAA eligibility to become a professional and train full-time in Texas. Her drive and commitment is a testament that ambition and effort do pay off.
The Tokyo Olympics:
After training almost her whole life, the then 24-year-old star was ready to make her Olympic debut. The Tokyo Olympics were anything but ordinary, for the stands were completely empty thus creating an environment where it truly was just you and your competitors; Thomas, ever the optimist, used the heavy protocols and precautions of the time to truly take in the amazing aspect of the sport. She recalls that living in the Olympic villa felt like “summer camp” since all her competitors would sit around and enjoy each other's company. Her running didn’t take that big of a hit with Thomas bringing home a bronze medal in the 200m race, with a time of 21.87 seconds, and also a silver medal in the 4x100m relay, where she ran as the anchor. Despite these stellar results, Thomas looked to the 2024 Paris Olympics for the real prize of a shining, gold medal.
The Paris Olympics:
The ending of the Tokyo Olympics left Gabby Thomas out for blood over the next four years, and that began with the 2022 World Championships; however, this dream would be crushed after a pulled hamstring left her hurdling to a halt. She didn’t even qualify to make the US World tea. This devastating blow would leave many athletes to quit, for the emotional turmoil alone is too much to handle. Still, Thomas took this as an opportunity to grow and become a better, stronger runner than ever before. She used her time in recovery to become a more “mature and meticulous” athlete, and by the 2023 US Championships, she had won gold and beaten out favorite Sha’Carri Richardson.
Upon arriving in Paris, Gabby Thomas manifested her gold medals each morning by writing in her notes app, “I will be an Olympic champion”. She had fought a mental and physical battle on the track, for she needed to run her best and smartest to win gold; the 200m sprint was her first event, and she exploded through the finish line at an astounding 21.83 seconds. Her athleticism continued throughout the week during her participation in the 4x100 meter relay and the 4x400 meter relay, both of which won gold. Her opinion on teamwork illustrates her thoughts on the integrity of teamwork: "When we come together, we have a very short amount of time and that was in Paris and what we have to do is build a rapport, and trust each other and respect each other as athletes”. That trust and rapport guaranteed successful handoffs and flawless sprints from the runners, and the gold medal was then securely around their necks.
The US Women’s 4x400m relay team after winning gold in the 2024 Paris Olympics
Conclusion:
Gabby Thomas is a powerhouse, both as a runner and person. Her dedication to lifting up women and black people within healthcare is admirable, and her education alone is already prestigious. With many records set and expectations exceeded, her running career is near perfect and illustrates to young athletes that being a “late bloomer” isn’t always a bad thing, as hard work is what matters most. While growing up, Thomas says that she always wanted to run like Alyson Felix, but the next generation of runners will grow up wanting to run like Gabby Thomas.
Sources:
Brief, Sam. “Gold for Gabby: Dominant 200m Victory Ensures Thomas’ First Olympic Crown.” NBC Olympics, 2024, www.nbcolympics.com/news/womens-200m-final-paris-olympics. Accessed 17 Aug. 2024.
Dutch, Taylor. “Gabby Thomas Is Chasing Olympic Gold and a Career in Public Health—at the Same Time.” Runner’s World, Runner’s World, 24 May 2024, www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a60719547/gabby-thomas-biography/. Accessed 17 Aug. 2024.
Finn, Natalie, and Sarah Grossbart. “2024 Olympics: Sprinter Gabby Thomas Reveals Why Strict Covid Policies Made Her Tokyo Experience More Fun.” E! Online, E! News, 3 Aug. 2024, www.eonline.com/news/1399489/olympic-sprinter-gabby-thomas-reveals-why-strict-covid-policies-made-her-toyko-experience-more-fun. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
Harvard University. “Gabby Thomas ’19 Wins Silver Medal with U.S. 4x100m Relay Team at 2020 Tokyo Olympics.” Harvard University, Harvard University, 6 Aug. 2021, gocrimson.com/news/2021/8/6/track-field-gabby-thomas-19-wins-silver-medal-with-us-4x100m-relay-team-at-2020-tokyo-olympics.aspx. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
Hoffman, Kelsie. “Gabby Thomas on Winning Gold at 2024 Paris Olympics: “I Knew I Was Ready for That Moment.”” Cbsnews.com, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2024, www.cbsnews.com/news/gabby-thomas-talks-preparing-for-2024-paris-games-winning-first-ever-olympic-gold-medal/.
McCarvel, Nick. “Harvard Graduate Gabby Thomas on How an Injury Has Shaped Her Anew: “I Became a Different Athlete.”” Olympics.com, International Olympic Committee, 24 Aug. 2023, olympics.com/en/news/gabby-thomas-exclusive-injury-harvard-future-rivalries-gold. Accessed 17 Aug. 2024.
Schnell, Lindsay. “Gabby Thomas Was a Late Bloomer. Now, She’s Won Olympic Gold in 200 Meters.” USA TODAY, USA TODAY, Aug. 2024, www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2024/08/01/gabby-thomas-sprinter-olympics/74559509007/. Accessed 17 Aug. 2024.
Yohe, Julia. “Gabby Thomas: Meet the Athlete.” NBC Olympics, 2024, www.nbcolympics.com/news/gabby-thomas-meet-athlete. Accessed 17 Aug. 2024.