Before the NCAA flipped the script in 2021 with the groundbreaking NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rules, college athletes were trapped in a rigid system. Scholarships were the ceiling—no endorsements, no paychecks, no personal branding. And for those in the Ivy League, like Gabby Thomas at Harvard, even athletic scholarships weren’t an option.

Yes, that was the case. However, Gabby’s story begins in 2015, when she stepped onto the collegiate stage as a freshman phenom. That year, she dominated every track event she entered. By 2016, she was lining up in the final of the women’s 200m at the U.S. Olympic Trials—shoulder to shoulder with the nation’s best. It was her first taste of elite-level defeat, but also her first real glimpse of the mountaintop. Behind the scenes, though, the climb was brutal.

Actually, Gabby wasn’t just chasing podiums; she was juggling a world-class education at Harvard, top-tier track meets, and a mountain of financial pressure. While other student-athletes had tuition and training covered, Gabby had to find her own way—no scholarships, no sponsors, no NIL deals. Then 2018 changed everything. How so? 

In a heartfelt email interview with AFROTECH, Gabby reflected on that ‘everything’ part. She ultimately said, “My New Balance partnership was my first sponsor, and it was a total game-changer…Signing with them wasn’t just about a paycheck either, it was about aligning with a brand that truly believed in me from day one.” So, in 2018, New Balance signed Gabby to a multi-year endorsement deal, and just like that, the game shifted. Her training gear was upgraded to the Vazee Sigma and Vazee Verge for competition, and the Fresh Foam 890 and 1400v4 for the daily grind. More than that, she joined a high-powered roster with the likes of Vernon Norwood and Trayvon Bromell. But it wasn’t just about new spikes and a paycheck. Then? 

Recalling that, the Olympian went deeper: “New Balance saw me as more than an athlete; they invested in my higher education, they leaned into my interests outside of sport, and gave me opportunities to be vocal about causes that I cared about — all while providing me with the resources I needed to train at the elite level. So New Balance not only helped me make it to the Olympics, but they also helped set me up for a successful career beyond track.” Now, seven years later, Gabby Thomas is not only a world-class sprinter and Olympian—she’s a role model for what athlete empowerment can look like when brands back their words with action. But still, she had to pay for everything for three long years before New Balance came on the scene. What would have happened if she had something like NIL in those years? 

Gabby Thomas narrates the day without NIL help 

This year, Gabby Thomas sat down for a candid conversation with financial influencer and Your Rich BFF host Vivian Tu, and the question on everyone’s mind finally came up: “How do you think your experience would have been different if you were five years younger and went to college during the NIL era?” Gabby didn’t even hesitate. “Gosh, I mean, so different! The NIL is crazy, I could have never imagined that,” she said with a mix of awe and what-could-have-been.

For Gabby, the new NIL rules would’ve been more than just a perk—they would’ve been a lifeline. Financial security? That would’ve been the real game-changer. She opened up about the grind behind the gold medals—the kind of hustle that doesn’t make the highlight reels. Competing at the highest level, all while figuring out how to pay for lunch? That was her reality.

“I had to, like, ask my friends sometimes, ‘Oh, could I borrow five bucks so we can afford the salad?’ Because I didn’t have it, and so that was really stressful.” Let that sink in. A future Olympian. Harvard student. National champion. Borrowing five dollars just to eat during track meets.

It’s a powerful reminder of how far college athletics have come—and how different Gabby’s journey might’ve looked if NIL had arrived just a few years earlier. But instead of bitterness, Gabby shared her story with humility and honesty, using her platform now to highlight how crucial financial support is for student-athletes chasing greatness. Behind every record-breaking sprint is a story you didn’t see. And sometimes, that story starts with a borrowed salad.