Ranking among the top four fastest women ever, Gabby Thomas has already etched her name in sprinting history. With her blistering speed in the 200-meter dash and recent stellar performances, Thomas is clearly at her peak, positioning herself for a podium upgrade. However, it’s not only her remarkable speed that distinguishes her. Behind the ascent of any exceptional athlete, the pivotal role of their coach shines through. For Thomas, Tonja Buford-Bailey has been that guiding light.

Thomas’s journey from collegiate record-breaker at Harvard to professional sprinter has been guided by the influence of Tonja Buford-Bailey, a three-time Olympian and her mentor. In 2018, Gabby Thomas was already a sensation in collegiate sprinting. However, by 2019, she sought a high-caliber training environment, leading her to Austin, Texas, where she found her ideal mentor in Buford-Bailey.

All about Gabby Thomas’s track superstar coach Tonja Buford-Bailey

Tonja Buford-Bailey, a former University of Texas coach, boasts a storied legacy as both an athlete and coach. In addition to her achievements as an Olympian, Buford-Bailey clinched a bronze medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Her experience positions her as intimately familiar with the taste of victory and the pressures associated with elite competitions. After serving as an associate head coach for Texas Track and Field for four seasons, she was promoted to the position of interim head coach in 2018. 

The sprinters and hurdlers of Texas are under the capable guidance of Buford-Bailey. Thomas’s coach is currently one of the most esteemed coaches nationwide, credited for her team’s achievements under her leadership. The Longhorn track team secured 11 consecutive NCAA titles while coached by Buford-Bailey. Additionally, 30-year-old US Olympic gold medalist Courtney Okolo was also trained by Tonja Buford-Bailey in 2016, the same year Bailey won both the 400-meter indoor and outdoor titles. It proved to be a memorable year, not only for Okolo, who clinched gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics and set a new record, but also for Buford-Bailey, who coached Zack Bilderback. Bilderback became the first man from Texas to win a 400-meter title.

Tonja Buford-Bailey has trained several other track stars, including Ashley Spencer and Byron Robinson, before she began coaching Gabby Thomas. She was instrumental in Teahna Daniels’ achievement of winning 12 consecutive Big titles in the 60 and 100 meters in just four years. With an extensive list of achievements and accolades, Buford-Bailey crossed paths with U.S. sprinter Gabby Thomas in 2019.

Gabby Thomas saw herself in the shoes of her coach

“I was thinking ‘I’m going to have to break a collegiate record if I want to win this race”, said 21-year-old Thomas after she broke the 200-meter collegiate record. And after that victory, Thomas knew that track and field was her calling, eagerly seeking to join a top-tier squad. It was during this time in Austin that she met Buford-Bailey. The connection she felt with Tonja was instantaneous and powerful, stemming from a chance meeting in Monaco.

“It was something so special about being in a group of Black women and having a Black coach because I could really see myself in their shoes. I felt like I could do what they were doing”, said Thomas while narrating her feelings after meeting Buford-Bailey. At 27, with four global medals, including an Olympic bronze and a World Championship silver, Gabby Thomas is already on a trajectory that hints at even greater glory at the upcoming Paris Games. With the able mentorship and support of her coach, Thomas is poised to reach new heights in her career.