”Has not been conventional by any means”- Gabby Thomas gets real about her unusual athletics journey

Gabby Thomas recently opened up about her track and field journey. The American is currently gearing up for the upcoming events of the 2025 track season.

Thomas was last seen in action at stop 3 of the Grand Slam Track, which took place in Philadelphia on May 31 and June 1. There, she stepped out of her comfort zone and competed in the 100m dash; however, the race did not pan out as expected. The American fell short of earning a podium finish, as she ended up in fourth-place after clocking 11.16s. Following that, she was slated to compete in the fourth stop of GST, which got cancelled due to economic reasons.

The Olympian is now gearing up for her appearance at the World Championships in Tokyo, and amid this, she collaborated with the brand TJ Maxx. Thomas recently shared a video on her Instagram story, where she was seen talking about her unusual track and field journey in a conversation with the brand. Calling it unconventional, she said:

"Society does try to put us in a box. Especially female athletes. But you can't. I'm Gabby Thomas and I'm a world champion sprinter. My journey to being a track athlete has not been conventional by any means. I prioritize my education first. I just do what I love, I don't care what anybody has to say about it. When I'm lining up for a race, that's when I feel like my best self, the most empowered, the most confident. I would say my style now is whatever makes me feel good. Confident, elegant, fun," said Gabby Thomas.

Gabby Thomas opened up about her mental preparation for races

After competing in the second stop of the Grand Slam Track in Miami, Gabby Thomas sat for a conversation with Marie Claire host Audrey Noble, where she opened up about how she mentally prepares herself for a race. She revealed that she manifests emotions by indulging in visualization before going into her races.

"Anytime I have anything coming up, I am visualizing everything very specifically so that by the time the race happens (or whatever big event I have coming up), I already know all the emotions that went into it [and] how I'm supposed to feel. [With] everything, I get really specific. So it helps me feel like I've already lived in the moment in a way. It's literally manifestation," she said.

Gabby Thomas had an incredible run at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she won three gold medals in the 200m dash, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay events.

About the author

An English Honors graduate, Nancy is a journalist at Sportskeeda covering US Olympic sports. She has a total experience of 4 years, having previously worked as a Marketing Executive for BYJU’S before finding her footing at SK.

To deliver the best content, Nancy keeps herself updated by reading as much as possible about the athletes and the sport, and believes that researching and trusting credible sources is the key to reporting ethical and accurate information.

Track and Field events particularly interest Nancy, and she is a fan of Allyson Felix. While she cherished each of her victories, her favorite Olympic moment happens to be the retired athlete’s 10th medal at the Games.

Nancy believes that covering the personal lives and training sessions of the Olympic athletes, and showcasing old podcasts or interviews would help bridge the coverage gap of the sport in its off season.

When away from her keyboard, Nancy spends most of her free time reading books. She also writes poems and plans on publishing a book.

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Edited by Pratham K Sharma