"I remember being so disturbed and shocked"- Gabby Thomas reflects on health disparities she learned about at Harvard

Gabby Thomas recently opened up about how upset and appalled she was after learning about racial and socioeconomic disparities in access to healthcare while taking sociology classes at Harvard University.

Thomas earned her undergraduate degree in neurobiology and global health. During her freshman year, she conducted research at Boston Children’s Hospital on autism in girls. She supplemented her neurobiology studies with sociology classes, where she first became aware of health and racial disparities.

In a recent podcast, Welcome to the Party, hosted by Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, and Billie Jean King, Thomas opened up about her sociology classes. She revealed how deeply disturbed and shocked she was, explaining that as a Black woman, it made her realize how systemic inequities and socioeconomic status impact her family’s health, their access to healthcare, and her own place in society.

“As I continued to study at Harvard, I started taking sociology classes too to supplement neurobiology just to, you know, branch out, do something a little bit different. And that's when I started learning about health disparities and racial disparities, things you aren't really taught in high school, things you aren't really taught unless you seek the information or you're listening to someone like me who talks about it, Gabby Thomas said.

And I remember being so disturbed and just shocked, especially as a Black woman, thinking about all the health implications that causes, thinking about my family and where they come from, thinking about my place in society, our socioeconomic status, and how it affects our own health and access to healthcare,” she added. (29.13 0nwards)

After graduating from Harvard, Thomas pursued public health and moved to Austin to study epidemiology at the University of Texas. In 2020, she enrolled in the program and completed her degree in May 2023, with a capstone project in sleep epidemiology.

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Gabby Thomas returns to track after injury that forced her to skip World Championships

The Vox Media Podcast Stage Presented By Smartsheet At SXSW - Day 2 - Source: Getty

After announcing her withdrawal from the World Athletics Championships, Gabby Thomas was seen back on the track recently. Weeks before the competition, the Olympic gold medalist withdrew due to an Achilles injury.

On Monday, October 6, Thomas shared on Instagram glimpses of herself attempting the “Impossible Mile,” which included 400m burpees, 400m walking lunges, 400m bear crawl, and a 4000m run.

“When you remember you have free will 😂 Might try this one again once my Achilles is feeling better. Who else would try this??”, she added in caption

Gabby Thomas is one of track and field’s standout athletes, having won five Olympic medals, including three golds.