What makes a good sprinter or inspires them to run hard? Perhaps talent, skills, training, determination, perseverance—you name it—all serve as the essential ingredients in the making of a great sprinter. However, beyond the massive physical grinding that curates a sprinter, there’s something else that ultimately inspires them to go faster.

It’s how you look, how you prepare yourself for the race, your attire, your makeup, and everything. Sha’Carri Richardson knows that, and so does the greatest runner of all time, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. All these extraordinary runners, with cabinets full of medals, adorn a striking look, complete with beautifully curated nails, vibrant wigs, and a touch of glam during races. The latest addition to the list of athletes who think their appearance can be a powerful tool, adding to their confidence and inspiring others, is 5x Olympics gold medalist Gabby Thomas. The former 4x400m relay world champion was talking to American drag queen and singer RuPaul on the Jimmy Kimmel Live YouTube channel on August 24. RuPaul playfully asked Gabby how she could look so fabulous while sprinting.

Amidst a burst of heartfelt laughter, Gabby came up with a powerful response that spoke volumes about her confidence and self-belief. “If you’ve ever done track and you are a sprinter, a big part of our culture is how you look and how you style yourself for the race. If you look good, you feel good, you run good, amen.” Drawing inspiration from the legendary track and field athlete Florence Griffith Joyner, who was as popular for her bold and colorful fashion choices, often incorporating neon hues, sequins, and dramatic makeup as her athletic achievements, Gabby Thomas connected it with self-belief and confidence. “Yes yes so that is it’s a big part of our race prep you know, you do all of it you do the mental check you do the physical check, and you make sure you look good. I mean we all know Florence Griffith Joiner she is a legend. I really do think that she changed the game I mean she empowered us she inspired us and we watch her run and she puts on a show and people want to see her compete because she has the nails done she has the hair done her her uniforms were fabulous. So I think we all kind of channel that energy when we’re on the track” exclaimed the 200m Olympic champion. And her jaw-dropping performance in the recently concluded Paris Olympics further cements her thinking that personal expressions can bolster athletic performance.

How was Gabby Thomas’s Olympic performance?

Gabby Thomas was unstoppable at the Paris Olympics. The 27-year-old star athlete first aced the 200m finals, clocking 21.83, pushing Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia to the second position. With one gold to her name already, Thomas went into the finals of the 4x100m race brimming with confidence. Running the third leg, Thomas clocked 10.25s, passing the baton to Sha’Carri Richardson, who then pushed her team to a golden victory.

However, Thomas was poised to etch her name in the records, and she did it in the 4x100m relay in style. With her split of 41.78, Thomas contributed heavily to her team’s golden victory in the 4x400m relay. Standing on the podium for the third gold, Thomas joined the elite ranks of Wilma Rudolph, Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Florence Griffith Joyner, and Allyson Felix, who have won three golds in the same event. “I was hungry for a gold medal,” Thomas said after clinching gold medals at the Paris Olympics, proving she is indeed a force to be reckoned with in track and field.