Gabby Thomas talks about her dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal, getting a degree from Harvard, and imposter syndrome…
Thomas is an internationally medal-winning sprinter, but this summer he will be aiming for Olympic gold in the 200m, a race many expect to break the world record.
In an exclusive interview with sky sports news She talks about her ambitions, overcoming impostor syndrome, advice for young girls concerned about body image, and the two degrees she earned to open up a career as a doctor to help those in need. Masu.
For now, her focus is on performing at her best at the Paris Olympics this summer. She faces stiff competition from Jamaica's Sherika Jackson, who is part of a group of women who are confident of reaching the podium and running frighteningly fast times.
“Everyone wants a gold medal. A gold medal would be great, it's the pinnacle and pinnacle of athletics, but what's really important to me is to do my best and put in a performance that I'm proud of,” Thomas said. worked hard.
“When I came back from the Tokyo Olympics with bronze and silver medals, I was very happy with it. I could have ended my career there. External talk and chatter.'' Medal, Dan, I feel like I really need to go get it!
“But for me it wasn't about that. It was about the fact that I had a performance that I was proud of, and it was my best season to date. If I can go to Paris and recreate that. I will.'' I hope it leads to a gold medal. ”
“The Olympic 200m final will be intense and historic.''
In Tokyo, Thomas placed third in the 200m final, won by Elaine Thompson-Herra, winning the Olympic bronze medal. Christine Mboma won the silver medal.
At the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, she won silver in the 200m behind Sherika Jackson, with fellow American Shakari Richardson taking bronze.
This year's women's 200m will be one of the highlights of Paris. Ms Thomas explained why she believes it will be a “special night”.
she said Sky Sports News” Olympic correspondent Geraint Hughes: “It's exciting because she's running the women's 200 meters faster than Flo Jo (world record holder Florence Griffith Joyner, 21.34 seconds).''
“Flo Jo was an anomaly in her own right. So the fact that some of us women are doing something like that and making it special at that event.
“It's going to be a very competitive and historic race when Sherica Jackson, Elaine Thompson-Herra, myself, Shakari Richardson and Christine Mboma come back. To push it that far is something really special.”
Thomas' fastest time in this event is 21.60 seconds, which she recorded nine months ago at the 2023 USATF Outdoor Championships. Jackson ran a time of 21.41 seconds at last year's world championships, and Thompson-Herra's time of 21.53 seconds in 2021 is not far from Joyner's all-time fastest time.
So, does the depth of talent improve world records?
“I have to go,” Thomas said from his training base in Texas.
“Personally, I don't think you can control the weather or the type of track you run on, if the conditions are right. But given the weather and the track, I think… yeah, it's going to be a really special event. 'To see. ”
Imposter syndrome at track and field and Harvard University
Thomas is a twin and his twin brother's name is Andrew. Although she showed an interest in football (soccer) from an early age, she also excelled academically, which led to her admission to Harvard University, where she concentrated on athletics.
“Impostor syndrome is something I've struggled with for a long time,” Thomas, 28, told social media site X last month.
While this confession may come as a surprise to many, Thomas explained why he made the comments online.
“I wasn't always a star, right? And every time I go into new territory, I end up challenging myself and putting myself in territory that I'm not comfortable with.
“So when it came to track and field, I moved to Austin, Texas to train with Olympians. I wasn't an Olympian when I came here.
“I wasn't even close to being an Olympian. No one was talking about me being on the Olympic team. So when I moved here and told people, 'I'm training for the Olympics,' I felt like a fraud.”
“I had never been on an American team before, so I had to work to bridge that gap, and in the end I was able to close it.
“And now I'm an Olympian, an Olympic medalist, a gold medal candidate. But I wasn't always like that. And I have to force myself to be in that space. did.
“Going to Harvard was no different. I wasn't the best student in high school. I didn't know what it would take to become a doctor or do neurobiology. .
“But I was literally in the same room with the best students in the world. So, of course, I felt like I didn't belong there. But I kept working and felt like I belonged there. I forced myself to be in that space until I felt that way.” ”
With support from her alma mater, she will aim to become the first Harvard graduate to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field.
Not content with just graduating from Harvard University with a degree in neurobiology and a special emphasis in public health, Thomas set her sights on running and studying when she moved to Texas in 2019. .
“One of the reasons I moved to Austin, Texas was to get a master's degree in public health with a focus in epidemiology, and that's where I saw myself,” she says. Told.
When Thomas moved there, she wasn't sure if she'd make the Olympic team, so she made other plans to get a master's degree, get a fellowship at a hospital, and then try to become the hospital's CEO. It was standing.
She said: “I'm still running, and I plan to continue running for the foreseeable future. But who knows where I'll be in five, seven, or 10 years? I want to continue that.''Currently, I completed my master's degree about a year ago, so I'm doing a master's degree in public health.
“And I work at a medical clinic here in Austin, providing care to people who don't have health insurance, so I'm staying in this space and still making a difference. And… I definitely want to continue doing that even after I retire from running.”
“It would be really sad if girls stopped playing sports because of body image concerns.”
In preparation for Women's History Month 2022, Thomas opened up about the misconceptions she was told about her body during her time as an athlete.
She tells WHOOP how her perspective on body image has changed during her track and field career, revealing her own insecurities and using it to help others overcome similar barriers. I hoped it would happen.
She said: “Sport offers so many opportunities for women, especially young girls in the younger generations, and they are often not encouraged or expected to continue, especially because of body image. If you feel that way, you're in real trouble.'' It's sad.
“It's a shame that society has put us in a place where we have to even worry about that. I used to think about that all the time when I was younger too, how I look, how sports affect my body. I'm scared of the impact it will have and of being criticized for doing it.
“But sports have given me so much and I've gained so much because of sports. I've gained a community, I've gotten an education, I've grown personally. So any type of I hate to see young girls lose.'' Take advantage of those opportunities. ”
Farewell to 'legend and mentor' Shelley Ann Fraser-Pryce
Although Thomas plans to continue running for many years to come, the 2024 Olympics will be an emotional farewell for Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
The three-time Olympic champion announced he would cancel after Paris because of debts he owed to his family. The Jamaican became the first 100m sprinter to win an individual medal at four consecutive Olympic Games.
“Shelly is a legend and a very kind athlete,” Thomas said.
“It’s not unusual for an active competitive athlete, especially on a women’s team, to have someone this kind and willing to coach, but she is.
“She shines with this kindness and happiness and positive energy. She has been my idol since childhood. I remember her and I winning the bronze medal in the 200m final at the Tokyo Olympics. Masu.
“I remember fighting so hard to the end. I didn't even know if I had won a medal or if Shelly had won a medal. Thankfully, I had. Shelly was right next to me. I came from behind and she was so happy for me.”
“She has such a long and incredible career that she has nothing left to prove. She can just make everyone happy, which is so great. Even though she just started and is better than ever, I can go on and on about her, which is amazing.'' It's an unreal career. ”
With nearly 100 days left, Thomas said the excitement will start to build. Especially since the Olympics will be held in Paris, and for many, including her, it will be the first Olympics with supporters in attendance since Tokyo was hit by the coronavirus.
“It's an Olympic year and there's a lot of talk starting to come out. With 100 days to go, everyone's really excited. So it's very motivating.”
Before that, she has to qualify for the Olympics, which she describes as “extreme” and a “mental battle.”
“There are a lot of people who want to be on the Olympic team, especially in track and field,” she added. “It's difficult to make a team. It's tough.
”[Qualification] I'm late. The Olympics are coming soon. So we're going to be thinking about that qualification process throughout the season. In my opinion, that's the fairest way, but it's definitely a mental battle.
“So you really have to prepare to be on the team and that's the most important part. I would say I'm more nervous about that than the actual Olympics.
“This is my second Olympics and I'm really looking forward to it because I'm in very good shape and fitness.”
