Gabby Thomas, who secured three Olympic gold medals in Paris, once went unnoticed in high school track. Seems unbelievable right? But we can assure you that you read that right. Emerging from the shadows of high school obscurity, Gabby Thomas has been dominating the tracks. While many athletes begin their journeys in youth clubs or elite high schools, Thomas’s path was far less conventional. 

Growing up in Atlanta, she was more into academics and never thought that she would develop a keen interest in the sport. However, it was not too late when she found her true calling on the tracks and got inspired by women athletes who were rewriting the history of the Olympics. Gabby was just 12 back then when she saw Allyson Felix and slowly fed her love for track. However, she wasn’t a standout. She was largely overlooked by college recruiters, and her incomparable talent stayed hidden beneath layers of exploration and self-discovery. Triumphing with her third gold, Thomas reflected on her story of becoming the Olympic gold medalist from not being the desired one for track and field during her high school days.

How did Gabby Thomas go from high school unknown to Olympic champion?

Back in her high school, while several students specialized in track, Thomas juggled various interests, balancing academics and athletics without a singular focus on running. Unlike her peers, who were often groomed from a young age to compete at the highest levels, Thomas initially had a different focus. And she was not actively recruited by track programs. In a recently posted X video, Gabby Thomas was caught reflecting on her early years. Thomas said, “A lot of track athletes that you see now got an earlier start. They just started running, you know, youth track clubs… A lot of them come, they go pro straight out of high school, right? You see that a lot. When I was in high school, I was not a standout, right? I wasn’t an athlete. I wasn’t heavily recruited by the track schools and track programs.”

Rather than succumbing to the pressures of early specialization, Thomas made a deliberate choice to pursue her passions on her own terms. Those decisions probably made her understand a crucial lesson of life. That success is not always about following the traditional routes that others take. After a long journey, now standing at the highest pedestal Gabby Thomas often shares her takeaways from the unconventional journey that she has had. “I always tell people who ask me about how can they become a professional athlete, how can they get to where I am, is that you kind of have to do your own thing and be authentic in your own self”, shared Thomas.

Not only did she believe the fact that she did not have to follow in the footsteps of her peers, but also made major decisions that shaped her career. Instead of running behind reputed colleges which might have offered her suitable courses for her to shine as an athlete, she settled for an Ivy League university. Gabrielle Lisa Thomas chose Harvard University as she wanted to flourish and prioritize self-growth over competing with others. She wanted to balance both academics and athletics together at Harvard. Thomas believes that, for a person to grow and succeed one “just need to go where you best fit and where you can thrive or where you can grow”. And she followed the same motto for herself. 

Thomas’ journey from academic powerhouse and aspiring fan to track queen

While many might have considered her decision as a detour from a career in track, Thomas viewed it as an essential step in her journey. Justifying the reasons behind her decisions Thomas stated, “And so for me, that was Harvard because I felt like I could grow in so many different aspects of my life. And I had so many interests that I wanted to pursue and so many amazing people that I could meet there. And when I personally was happy and in an environment where I felt like I could grow and thrive, it kind of transcended into track and field, too.” Moreover, Thomas is not only one of the most celebrated athletes but is also supremely academically qualified. She holds a master’s degree in epidemiology and graduated in neurobiology.

Thomas’s evolution as an athlete culminated in her remarkable performance at the Paris Olympics. And with each race she runs, she proves how worthy her choice turned out to be. Gabby’s life has truly come full circle. She went from admiring her idol, Allyson Felix, on the screen to standing in the same position and making her nation proud. Thomas has truly come a long way in transforming her dreams into reality.