MadameNoire
Source: Steph Chambers / Getty
Gabby Thomas is making headlines after snagging a win at the women’s 200 meters at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. This victory has secured her spot in the Tokyo Olympics, which begins on July 23, 2021. She finished the race 21.61 seconds, making her the second fastest runner of all-time and landing her behind Florence Griffith Joyner, NBC Sports noted. The 24-year-old Florence, Massachusetts native gushed about her accomplishment on social media.
“21.61 seconds- best to ever do it behind FloJo,” she tweeted. “AND IM AN OLYMPIAN!!!!!! So so so grateful to everybody-especially my coach. Sending love to everyone who has supported me up to this point and to my new supporters. We’re just getting started.”
Here’s what you need to know about Thomas.
Thomas is a Harvard Graduate
Thomas graduated from Harvard University in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology and global policy. While attending the Ivy League school, she also broke records during her track career and made history. In 2018, Thomas became the first women’s sprinter in Ivy League history to win the 200-meter event at the NCAA championships in a record 22.38 seconds, according to the Boston Herald. She also established indoor track records for the 60m, 200m and 300m and the four fastest 4x400m relay.
Thomas is a New Balance Athlete
In 2019, Thomas signed a deal with New Balance as a professional athlete. She told Fleet Fleet that running professionally wasn’t in her plans but once she was presented with the opportunity she jumped on it. So instead of running for Harvard her senior year, she inked a deal with New Balance.
“It happened very quickly,” she said. “Going pro wasn’t something I had been thinking about at all. It happened after the NCAA indoor meet where I won the 200m and broke the collegiate record. After my junior season, I ran in the IAAF Diamond League meet over the summer. It was a free trip to Europe, and I got to have a lot of fun. I talked to so many agents, and opportunities were presented. I thought, ‘Is it better to go back to the team and run one more year at Harvard?’ Within a few months, I was presented with several options, and I decided that New Balance was the right choice for me.”
Source: Steph Chambers / Getty
Thomas Had a Health Scare a Few Weeks Before Olympic Trials
A few weeks ago, Thomas was fighting a hamstring problem and after she had a MRI completed, she received some shocking news. Doctors found that she had a tumor on her liver, according to the Team USA website.
On her social media, she expressed being nervous that her tumor was cancerous.
“At first, I was calm. I hadn’t had any symptoms, and if anything, the mass was caught early. Incidental findings are common. But the more and more I spoke to people, the more the word ‘cancer’ was used. I was scared,” she wrote on Twitter.
She was relieved to later find out that it was benign and she didn’t require any treatment or surgery.
Source: Andy Lyons / Getty
Thomas Wants to Pursue a Career in Health Care
Even though she is a professional runner, Thomas still has plans for her a career in health care and policy. She currently attends the University of Texas and is working towards her master’s degree in public health.
“Following track, I’d like to do something in health care policy or health care administration,” she told Team USA. “In America, I’d start with having walkable communities – communities where you can actually go out and feel incentivized to exercise. I’d also make sure there is access to quality food and grocery stores.”
