To be successful, it’s almost an absolute requirement to have a strong support system. If the backing-up comes from your family, more often than not, few things can hold you back from reaching your goals. From gymnastics icon Simone Biles to sprinting sensation Sha’Carri Richardson, almost all of these athletes have become international stars with their families’ unwavering support behind their backs. For Gabby Thomas, the story isn’t too different.

The 27-year-old Atlanta resident hauled three gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics and is currently being lauded for her feats at every corner of the country. Ever since she stepped the plane from the French capital, Thomas has been catapulted at the center of fans’ gaze to laud her exploits across the pond. But all this might not have been possible if Gabby’s mother hadn’t stood firm behind her children.

Gabby Thomas nods her hat toward her superhero mom

In a YouTube video by The Daily Show from August 14, Gabby talked about how her mom Jennifer Randall remains one of the biggest characters in her life. “I can go on and on about my mom and her support,” said the Olympian earnestly, and the audience couldn’t help but burst into applause. “…my mom has believed in me since I’ve been born…And she has done everything for us,” stated Thoms further.

The three-time Olympic gold medalist went on to narrate how Randall went through severe hardship to make sure her children had a better shot at a decent life. “…she started as a waitress, and then worked her way, and now is a professor of an endowed chairman professorship at the University of Michigan,” Thomas chronicled how her mother had to battle adversities every step of the way.

Jennifer single-handedly brought up Gabby and her twin brother Andrew since they were little kids. Recounting how they didn’t have “two pennies to scrub together,” as children, Thomas has never shied away from lauding her mom for all her efforts for her own success. “…she’s always instilled in me the importance of not only education, but going after your dreams and giving back to your community,” said Gabby in the interview as she claimed Jennifer has been her role model all her life. It was probably this very emphasis on education that’s helping Gabby now as she sets her eyes on newer things after the conclusion of the 33rd Olympic Games.

Thomas keeping up with her mother’s dreams

In April, Thomas was announced as one of the first stars to participate in Alexis Ohanian’s upcoming female-only athletics tournament, Athlos NYC. In addition to competing in the September event, Thomas has also been involved in the planning process for Serena Williams’ husband’s ambitious project. In an interview with Citius Mag during the Olympics, Ohanian explained how Thomas took up the responsibility eagerly by herself and used her educational degrees to chalk out the details of the tournament enthusiastically. “She was like the Venn diagram of enthusiastic and incredibly insightful, where the Venn diagram was like a perfect circle…That was incredibly motivating,” Ohanian said.

A degree in neurobiology from Harvard, multiple Olympic hardware, and a volunteer at a medical center in Texas: Thomas’ life now is certainly something her mom can take pride in. And yet, the first years of training for track was hard. “I was not even close to being an Olympian myself. But I forced myself to go train with them, and I forced myself to get my butt kicked in practice every day for two years,” Gabby confessed on the bumpy road she had to cross to get where she is. But will her determination to never give up and her mother’s relentless support continue to bring Gabby the same kind of success even in the future? Only time will tell!