Harvard graduate Gabby Thomas hit the ground running at the Paris Olympics this month. She captured three gold medals and proved she was a force to be reckoned with. She chased down her first gold in the 200-meter dash on August 6, with a blistering time of 21.83 seconds that left her competitors in the dust. This victory followed a storied career at Harvard, where she set eight all-time records in women’s track.

Thomas had a path focusing on Neuroscience as her major and complementing it with a secondary concentration in Global Health and Health Policy. She later pursued a master’s degree in health at the University of Texas at Austin. With a future PhD on the horizon, her achievements are making waves, drawing comparisons to track stars like Sha’Carri Richardson, but it seems she will be getting rewards the same as SCR.

Well, according to a letter in the Northampton-Daily Hampshire Gazette, Gabby Thomas deserves official recognition from the city. Her impressive trio of gold medals has not only brought pride but also global recognition to our community. Beyond her athletic prowess, Thomas stands out as a role model for young people, showing how to excel both in sports and academics, having graduated from Harvard with a focus on balancing intellectual and physical achievements.

The letter advocates for honoring Gabby Thomas with a key to the city, a town hall interview, or an honorary street name to celebrate her remarkable achievements and inspire local youth. This proposal reflects a similar gesture made in Dallas, where the Independent School District board named the track at the Jesse Owens Athletic Complex’s John Kincaide Stadium the Sha’Carri Richardson Track.

This tribute, deeply meaningful to Richardson, recognizes her storied career that began with winning Texas state titles at Carter High School and continued with NCAA and professional successes. Naming a track after Thomas would similarly commemorate her contributions and serve as a lasting source of inspiration for the community. At the same time, they both have made the USA proud time and again!

Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson prove hard work pays off

The U.S. women’s 4×100 relay team, featuring Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry, Gabby Thomas, and Sha’Carri Richardson, celebrated a big win at the Stade de France on Friday night. They took home the Olympic gold, marking a major comeback after finishing second to Jamaica in Tokyo. Team Great Britain snagged the silver, and Team Germany landed the bronze.

For Sha’Carri Richardson, this victory was especially sweet. After missing out on an individual gold in the 100m, where she came in second behind Julien Alfred of St. Lucia, Richardson finally got her Olympic gold. She had been suspended from the Tokyo Games due to a positive marijuana test, which she took to deal with the stress of losing her mother right before the U.S. Olympic trials.

Gabby Thomas also had a fantastic showing, winning her second Olympic gold at the Paris Games. She had already taken gold in the 200m. Her mom, Jennifer Randall, remembers telling her daughter at just 11 years old that she would be an Olympian, inspired by Allyson Felix’s achievements at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Despite considering quitting track and field during her time at Harvard and early in her professional career, Thomas stuck with it and is now on track to match Felix’s impressive feats. Team USA has been on fire in Paris, leading the field with 10 golds and 28 total medals. They’ve really shown they’re back on top.