19 December 2024
American sprinter Gabby Thomas isn’t just a superstar on track and field aiming to add more Olympic medals to her tally, she’s also a super smart woman with ambitions in medicine.
Todd Harris caught up with the 28 year old while he was hosting the USTAF “Night of Legends” event, where Gabby won the Jackie Joyner Kirsee Award – and celebrated her birthday!
At the Paris Olympics, Thomas won gold in the women’s 200m, and, along with her teammates, in the 4 × 100 m relay and 4 × 400 m relay, in which they ran an American record and the second-fastest time ever.
She told Todd. “Everything was Incredible! The purple track was stunning! We were all so excited to run on it.” She ran on it with grace as well as pace. Gabby understands the science of speed. She analyses her every performance in forensic detail; she understands how to maximise her efficiency of movement; and can put that into practice on the track. All of which combines to making this sprinter move beautifully.
Thomas is also a woman of laser-like focus – so much so that she sat out the opening ceremony, though she watched and was entranced by show put on by her fellow athletes and the host city. Still, as a fan of the USA Women’s Rugby Team, she did take time to cheer them on and told us how much she enjoyed the event as a whole.
Even now, four months on from her phenomenal display in France, Gabby says life hasn’t yet returned to normal – and she doesn’t know if it ever will. But she’s back in training and already focused on next year’s World Championships.
Looking further ahead, Gabby, who earned a degree in neurobiology at Harvard University, said she would like to run a non-profit one day.
Todd was so impressed with the athlete that he shared with us his idea for a presidential campaign slogan.
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