Olympic champion Gabby Thomas has shared her unexpected path to track and field, revealing that it wasn’t her first choice. In an interview with New Balance, the accomplished 200m sprinter disclosed that she nearly pursued a different sport before her mother’s influence led her to the track.
Reflecting on her remarkable 2024 season, highlighted by a dominant performance at the Paris Olympics, Thomas recounted how her involvement in track and field was largely due to her mother’s insistence.
“I originally chose softball. I wanted to do it with my friends,” Thomas said via Sportskeeda. “Track and field was not my first love, soccer was. My friends were doing softball, so I signed up, but my mother had another idea. You know about Black households, you don’t really get to talk back.”
Her mother’s encouragement to try track turned out to be a pivotal moment, one Thomas now deeply appreciates. Grateful for her mother’s guidance, she reflected, “Mom, I want to thank you so much for forcing me to do track and field. Thank you. You knew what you were doing.”
Now a triple Olympic gold medalist, Thomas has not only excelled but also found a passion for the sport. “I think I ended up choosing track because you can always get better, you can always improve, you can always be a better athlete, be a better version of yourself, and that’s such a beautiful thing about track and field,” she noted. “We can count medals and we can count wins, but you’re always kind of racing yourself, so I fell in love with that.”
During the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 27-year-old competed in the 200m, 4x100m, and 4x400m relays, winning gold in each event.
