Many believe that achieving success comes with its share of obstacles and challenges; Gabby Thomas can attest to that firsthand through her journey of triumph and adversity before rising to prominence as one of the fastest female sprinters worldwide. Despite encountering hurdles along the way, her achievements in the 2024 Paris Olympics where she excelled in the women’s 200-meter race and contributed to winning gold in both the 4×100 meter relay and the 4×400 meter relay events.

It’s truly amazing to see her progress, considering she openly admitted, “There were many times where I thought I would quit.”

What lies ahead for Gabby, now, that she has accomplished much already? Could retirement be, in her plans? While that might be an option, she is already planning a future beyond her successful running career!

Thomas, 27, used to work in healthcare, and she’s pretty impressive with her academic background—she has a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology from Harvard and a master’s in public health from the University of Texas Health Science Center!

When not out training, she’s focused on what’s next for her. In a recent YouTube podcast with Mike Jackson, she mentioned that after her track and field career, her main goal is to give back to her community.

Gabby with big plans and a heart of gold

On October 29th, Gabby Thomas appeared on Why Not Me? with Mike Jackson. The episode was aptly titled “Gabby Thomas: On Harvard, Winning Gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and Surviving a Health Scare.” During their conversation, Mike asked Gabby about her future plans, particularly whether she sees volunteering as part of her journey, given her current success in athletics.

Gabby, dressed in a black tank top and straight pants, along with her Olympic pendant, shared her thoughts candidly. “Absolutely, absolutely,” she said with enthusiasm. “I see myself running for the foreseeable future, that’s for sure. Ever since this last Paris Olympics, I mean, running has definitely taken up a larger part of my life than it had previously, um, and I love it.”

“But definitely still volunteering at the clinic, um, and when my schedule and time allows, and maybe when I retire, I would love to move back.” Her passion for running and giving back was evident, which prompted Mike to ask if she plans to return to healthcare after she retires.

Gabby responded, “Absolutely, absolutely, I will move back to the healthcare space in a heartbeat. Maybe not in the same capacity that I had initially intended, so maybe not doing research. Initially, I wanted to run a hospital and just be the CEO of a hospital… because that, that really was my dream at the end of the day, was to do that and run a hospital.”

Gabby’s commitment to her roots and desire to make a difference, truly shine through, showing that her heart is just as big as her talent. But how did she find her way into the sport when her first love wasn’t track and field or healthcare, but other sports altogether?

After Gold what’s next for Gabby Thomas, as she aims for LA 2028?

Though Gabby Thomas is now a gold medalist in the world, she has been very passionate about contributing to the healthcare industry. When she is not training, she volunteers at a healthcare clinic in Austin meant for those who cannot afford insurance.

A hypertension program is conducted by her to widen the access to health. Interestingly, track and field wasn’t always Gabby’s first love. She revealed, “Track and field were not my first love; soccer was! My friends were doing softball, so I signed up, but my mother had other ideas. You know how it is in Black households—you don’t really get to talk back.”

Gabby’s mother’s encouragement to give the track a shot turned out to be impactful on her life’s journey. Thomas is now a triple Olympic gold medalist. She values how track and field provides chances for progress and self-improvement, enabling athletes to continuously work towards becoming the best versions of themselves. The star athlete has her sights set on the Summer Games, in LA, 2028, and is currently prioritizing her recovery process. With this, she understands the importance of maintaining a balance, in life.