Heartbreaking Mental Stress Gets Gabby Thomas To Relate With US Track and Field Star’s Story: “The Panic Years”

Fueled by fast-paced action, most fans believe track and field stars live a life of glamour and serenity. However, the pressure that comes with high expectations can be daunting. On the other hand, constantly being at the center of discussion can take its toll on the athletes. Gabby Thomas, the two-time Olympic medalist, is no stranger to the public gaze thanks to her achievements on the highest level. However, even she can’t always handle the spotlight. Coming from that, she couldn’t help but take a moment to share what she and her colleagues had to go through during the prime of their lives.

In her Instagram story, Gabby shared a short video clip uploaded by Nigerian-American sprinter Morolake Akinosun. The 2016 Olympic gold medalist took to social media to share how life can become a burden, especially with the need to be ahead of others. “Wheww. Love this“, reads the caption of Gabby’s story, evidently highlighting how Akinosun’s words ring true for athletes around the world.

“The panic years, at least that’s how my 20’s have felt anyway“, says Morolake in her original post. “…a panic to be perfect, to have everything figured out before thirty…a panic to stay ahead of the living crisis…buy a house, travel the world, all while staying present“, elaborates Moroloake about just how much pressure today’s youth have to go through. As Gabby shares her colleague’s views on living in a continuous situation of panic, she herself is no stranger to burdens either.

For Gabby, experiencing mental health blues came in a different shape. Most athletes crumble in the face of the pressure of expectation. For Gabby, it did not come from there. Rather, what she faced was something like a withdrawal symptom. After months of nerve-wracking competition, suddenly there was the peace of a lifetime. That did not have a positive impact on her. Rather, her mind perceived it as a low and that sudden shift unsettled her. Let’s hear it from Gabby herself.

Gabby Thomas’ attempts to come to terms with career demands

At the end of her run at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Thomas returned home to widespread media attention thanks to her twin medals in the 4x100m relay and the 200m events. However, despite being under the spotlight, the University of Texas student didn’t feel the thrill she had hoped for. “Everything that I had been working for essentially two years … was just over“, said the sprinter in an interview from 2021 as she talked about the post-Olympic depression that engulfed her.

“I won the medals, but it was still just over and I wasn’t feeling that high anymore. So it was actually really tough, not even just from the jet lag but just emotionally,” explained Gabby further. To tackle her troubles, Thomas sought to help herself.

As part of her master’s degree curriculum, Gabby wrote a paper on rest and the importance of good sleep to maintain a healthy life. “The biggest takeaway for me is that sleep is a public health crisis and as a society, we don’t recognize that,” stated Thomas, who looks up to towering figures and aims to replicate their success in her own career. With her emphasis on a good night’s sleep, it waits to be seen if she can make the upcoming Olympics a better affair than her last tryst with the Games, or if her ambitions remain a distant dream.