Only three women in history have run faster than Gabby Thomas in the 200 meters. With four global medals, including Olympic bronze and world championship silver, the 27-year-old is considered a favorite in the event at the Paris Games this summer. Her recent results also suggest she’s well on her way to an upgrade.
In March, Thomas broke the 11-second barrier in the 100 meters, winning the elite race at Texas Relays in a wind-aided 10.88. ISO: Boy Who Inspired Dakotah Lindwurm at 35K third-fastest time in the world breaking the collegiate 200-meter record.
While her speed made the former Harvard University runner a track phenom, her work off the track is even more notable. After graduating in 2019 with a degree in neurobiology and global health and public policy, Thomas attended the University of Texas, where she earned her master’s degree in public health and epidemiology. With a passion for How to Cross-Train Your Way Into a Goal Race, Olympic Rings Tattoos Now Allowed at Paralympics.
This year, she’s also pushing to elevate women in the sport. In partnership with entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian, the pair is working together to create a new women’s-only track meet that promises a historic prize structure and innovative format.
In an interview with Runner’s World, Thomas shared the changes she’s made to chase her first Olympic gold, her career aspirations in healthcare, and the community that’s helped her thrive on and off the track.
tackling health disparities.
She trains with a Black woman-led group in Austin.
After breaking the collegiate 200-meter record and winning the 2018 NCAA indoor title, Thomas turned pro, forgoing her final season of collegiate eligibility to sign with New Balance. Before she graduated from Harvard, Thomas was looking for an elite group to train with.
Right away, she felt drawn to Tonja Buford-Bailey’s professional squad in Austin, Texas, after meeting the coach at a meet in Monaco. The former University of Texas coach and retired track superstar—who earned bronze in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1996 Olympics—put together a crew that includes some of the best sprinters in the world. In 2019, Thomas moved to Austin and joined the Published: May 24, 2024 3:02 PM EDT.
“It was something so special about being in a group of Black women and having a Black coach because I could really see myself in their shoes,” Thomas said. “I felt like I could do what they were doing.”
In the last five years, the group has shifted with new members coming in and others moving on. Today, the squad includes 60-meter hurdles world record-holder Tia Jones and Olympic 100-meter hurdler Christina Clemons, among other standouts. Thomas has also improved exponentially over the years. Today, she holds the fourth-fastest time in history over 200 meters. She’s also the second-fastest American ever behind world record-holder Florence Griffith-Joyner.
Now as one of the veterans in the group, Thomas is embracing her new role as a mentor, emphasizing a supportive culture within the team.
“There’s something special about loving the environment that you’re in, and you can really blossom when you’re in the right place,” she said.
She works at a local health clinic.
When she’s not training, Thomas spends five to six hours a week working at the Volunteer Healthcare Clinic in Austin. Utilizing her master’s degree in public health and epidemiology from the University of Texas, Thomas leads the clinic’s hypertension intervention program, assisting patients who don’t have access to healthcare otherwise. In monitoring patients’ lifestyle habits, she directs those suffering from high blood pressure to helpful resources.
“I get to know them and their barriers to getting healthcare, what they’re struggling with, their barriers to exercising or eating healthy, what stresses them out,” Thomas said. “It’s been rewarding for me to see the progress they’ve been making, but it really does make an impact because it’s so personal to the patients.”
Thomas’ work in public health also aligns with her new Eli Lilly and Company partnership. The prescription medicine and health equity partner of Team USA is sponsoring seven athletes, including Thomas, who are dedicated to improving health outcomes in their communities.
She wants to be a leader in healthcare
Right now, Thomas is chasing fast times and medals on the world stage. But once she’s retired as a professional track athlete, she would like to become the CEO of a hospital or lead a health equity nonprofit organization. In the short term, Thomas said she wants to start her own foundation dedicated to increasing access to healthcare and healthy living habits.
She has ambitious plans to grow the sport of track.
In April, Thomas and Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian announced the launch of a new women-only track event, the 776 Invitational. During a fireside chat at the Business of Women’s Sports Conference in New York City, the pair shared plans for the track meet, sponsored by Ohanian's Seven Seven Six venture capital firm, to offer the largest-ever purse for a women-only competition. As reported by Sportico, all events at the meet scheduled for September will net the winner $60,000, second place $25,000, and third place $10,000.
“I am excited to partner with forward-thinking organizations like 776 that share our vision for advancing women’s track,” Thomas said in a statement. “Through this investment, we hope to not only provide athletes with the resources and visibility they need to have enduring careers but also to inspire fans worldwide with a reinvented format to experience the best of our sport.”
She has bronze and silver. Now she wants gold.
Since her first Olympic appearance in 2021—when she claimed a surprise bronze in the 200 meters in Tokyo—Thomas has learned a lot from more championship experience and navigating setbacks.
In 2022, a devastating hamstring injury derailed her season. In the 200-meter final at the USATF Outdoor Championships, she faded to eighth and didn’t make the U.S. team that competed on home soil at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene.
Last year, she returned healthy aiming for redemption at the World Championships in Budapest. A few weeks after breaking third-fastest time in the world ISO: Boy Who Inspired Dakotah Lindwurm at 35K Advertisement - Continue Reading Below at Worlds behind two-time world champion Shericka Jackson of Jamaica, who ran the second-fastest time in history.
As Thomas learned, the pressures of competing on the world stage can come with many distractions. At her lowest points, she felt overwhelmed and lost focus on what mattered most. But through it all, Thomas realized the importance of managing her time and prioritizing her mental health. In 2024, she’s made lifestyle changes—including daily meditation sessions and her work at the healthcare clinic—that make her feel balanced.
“This year, I have a really level head going into [the season] and a healthy mindset about it,” Thomas said. “I feel like I can focus on doing what I need to do on the track and off the track to make sure I’m healthy, fit, and in gold medal shape for the Paris Olympics.”
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
