Sprinter Gabby Thomas won her first Olympic gold medal in the 2024 Paris Games women’s 200-meter final, accrediting her accomplishment in part to her second job.
The 27-year-old from the United States of America took home bronze and silver during her Olympic debut at the Tokyo games, says she balances her career as an Olympian with a job in health care.
Thomas outside the track holds a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology from Harvard University and a master’s degree in public health from the University of Texas Health Science Center.
Every athlete has a unique way of training for competitions, with some chaning their diets and some introducing new training routines. But Thomas did it differently. In the months leading up to the Games, Thomas trained three to six hours a day, but at night, she worked at an Austin volunteer health-care clinic for people without insurance.
The 200m gold athlete has made note that having a career outside of track has played a critical role in her success as a professional athlete.
“The way I became successful in track and field was basically running track part-time,” she said. “And I think for me that’s really important for my mental health, just having other things in my life that helped fulfill, you know, my goals and make me feel fulfilled.”
Thomas reiterated that having a second career sharpens her focus and helps her decompress from the constant grind of training.
“I think I’m just so grateful to get to do what I love. “I think about it all the time, and even after a hard day at the track, when I’m tired and wheezing from practice, I’m just like, ‘I’m so grateful to be doing what I love and to be able to do it for a living.'”
She added, “And then I get to go to the clinic and volunteer and make a difference in people’s lives. So I feel so fulfilled, and I feel so passionate about everything I do. And (it) really just comes from gratitude.”
She now becomes the Fifth woman since Allyson Felix in 2012 to win three gold medals in the same Olympics in track and field.
Thomas is not done yet, as she has ambitions to compete in Los Angeles in 2028 and win more medals, with an even bigger goal in mind to run a hospital, nonprofit to democratize information and access to health care.
“I hope that I’m doing the same thing I’m doing now, which is letting my passions drive me,” she said.
Thomas as an athlete in her school years made history at the NCAA Championships by winning the indoor 200 meters with a time of 22.38 seconds. This victory marked Harvard’s first NCAA title in women’s track and field.
After graduating from Harvard in 2019, Gabby transitioned seamlessly into a professional track and field career, signing with New Balance and training under coach Tonja Buford-Bailey in Austin, Texas. Her professional journey quickly gained momentum, with 2021 being a standout year.
At the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, she excelled in the 200 meters with a time of 21.61 seconds, the third-fastest time ever recorded in the event. This performance secured her a spot on the U.S. Olympic team and established her as a top contender for the Tokyo Olympics.
In the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Gabby Thomas competed in the 200 meters and the 4×100 meters relay, showcasing her incredible talent on the world stage. She won the bronze medal in the 200 meters with a time of 21.87 seconds, placing behind Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah and Namibia’s Christine Mboma. Gabby also contributed to Team USA’s silver medal in the 4×100 meters relay, running a crucial third leg.
Following the Tokyo Olympics, Gabby continued to do well at the World Championships and various Diamond League events, solidifying her status as one of the top sprinters globally.
