Gabby Thomas keeps getting showered with honors! After winning three gold medals at the Paris Olympics, the Harvard grad is enjoying popularity like never before. And on December 4, she added another feather to her already decorated cap. The track and field icon was a presenter for the 38th annual Footwear News Achievement Awards in New York, where she got to meet some of the biggest stars from all walks of life.

Naturally, the 27-year-old Gabby Thomas was ecstatic about her latest role, where she rubbed shoulders with some true megastars. 2024 has been a blissful year for Thomas: from making waves in the City of Love to joining hands with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian to kickstart the Athlos project with oomph, she has done it all. And now, with her latest achievement, Gabby Thomas couldn’t be more grateful.

In her Instagram update from December 5, Gabby Thomas expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity to be part of the FNAA. Presenting the Company Of The Year award to sports merchandise giant New Balance, Thomas looked gleeful. Gabby Thomas took to IG later to note how the whole affair was a jubilant experience. “It was such an honor to present @newbalance with the Company of the Year Award,” she wrote in her latest post, noting how incredible it felt to do something completely new.

But that wasn’t the only highlight of the night! Gushing on her post, Gabby Thomas wrote further, “I was inspired by many last night…truly a special evening,” before sharing snaps of herself with the likes of pop icon Rihanna, WNBA celebrity Angel Reese, and retired track legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Thomas stole the scene in a chic short black dress paired with black stockings and topped off with a statement-making white bow. The look was bold, but so was Thomas’s joy—her elation at meeting the global superstar was as dazzling as her outfit!

Thomas’ relationship with New Balance goes way back: right after graduating college, the pro sprinter signed a multi-year deal with the spike maker and has since become one of the most emphatic stars on its stacked roster. Naturally, presenting the prestigious award to her own sponsors was a special moment for Gabby, and she didn’t miss the opportunity to show up in her best self.

Draped in all-black with a massive white bow in the front, Thomas turned heads at the NYC event. Rocking a perfect fit, she even got a special note of appreciation from the Chicago Sky forward Reese, who hailed Gabby on her social media update: “Literally a BEAUTY!” wrote the basketball sensation. But 2024 has already given the neurobiology graduate her boasting rights.

Gabby Thomas reached her zenith in 2024

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Thomas failed to make the most of the golden chance. Understandably, she was determined to amend that this time around. In the months leading up to the 33rd Olympics in the iconic European metropolitan area, Thomas was knee-deep in preparations. Working hard to overcome her injuries from 2022, Gabby also talked about how she was willing to go the extra mile to compensate for the disappointment from three years ago. “I’ve come back from injuries and setbacks and so I’ve really grown I feel really ready to accomplish my goals this year,” she told ESPN just before the Paris Games. And she managed to reach those goals in a stellar manner, to say the least!

After her golden Parisian campaign (3 golds: 200m, 4x100m, and 4x400m), Thomas once again took up another responsibility, this time in collaboration with tennis legend Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian. Signing up for Ohanian’s ambitious Athlos NYC, Gabby quickly became the face of the newly announced women’s only track and field tournament. While she didn’t go on to win gold at the Icahn Stadium for the inaugural edition of the event, Thomas nonetheless helped the tournament to be a great success. What new achievements do you foresee for Gabby Thomas in the coming days? Share your thoughts with us!