The Olympics wasn’t the end of the road for Gabby Thomas. While winning gold on the grand stage was undoubtedly a significant moment in her career, the 27-year-old Atlanta athlete has even more to look forward to. Thomas has been one of the driving forces behind Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian’s ambitious New York Athlos tournament. Now that the quadrennial tournament is over, the 200m specialist can fully dedicate her time to helping Ohanian achieve his personal milestone—and she has a few tricks up her sleeve as well.

Along with being an Olympic gold medalist, Gabby is also a scholar. A Harvard graduate, Thomas holds a degree in neurobiology and a master’s degree in epidemiology from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Naturally, she is more than capable of understanding the significant requirements needed to make the inaugural edition of Athlos a success.

Tennis icon Serna Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, discussed how the Athlos NYC event has been shaping up in an interview with Citius Mag, even revealing how Gabby is using her educational background to the best of her abilities to make the upcoming tournament a grand success. Gabby was one of the first athletes who were announced as a participant and a partner for the tournament, and she’s been knee-deep in work ever since. “She had an entire memo of thoughts and ideas,” Ohanian said in the interview he gave in Paris during the 2024 Olympics.

“She was like the Venn diagram of enthusiastic and incredibly insightful, where the Venn diagram was like a perfect circle,” Alexis elaborated further on how Gabby’s education has played a crucial role for his venture capital firm 776 to plan for the women’s-only track and field tournament. “That was incredibly motivating,” admitted Ohanian on how Thomas’ skills and enthusiasm gave made him feel confident that his project and efforts wouldn’t be in vain.

It remains to be seen how all of these efforts will culminate on the track when Athlos NYC finally takes flight this September. With the 33rd Olympics now concluded, many track fans believe that the upcoming event could be the next big thing for the sport, potentially ushering in a new era.

Gabby Thomas’ stardom on the track was written in the stars

Ohanian’s commitment to elevating women’s sports is nothing new. He is deeply involved with the women-majority-owned Angel City FC and is a staunch advocate for giving female athletes larger platforms to showcase their talent. The Athlos NYC tournament aims to set a new standard, offering $60,000 in prize money to gold medal winners.

Ohanian hopes to revolutionize the female sports scene, especially considering that gold medalists in the Diamond League currently receive only $10,000 for their achievements. In addition to its substantial financial incentives, the NYC event will bring together the top female track stars from around the world. For fans in the USA, the tournament is even more enticing, with rumors circulating that Sha’Carri Richardson may make an appearance.

Thomas’ tryst with the track wasn’t a tale of love at first sight. Instead, she found her calling much later and well into her journey of becoming a doctor at one of the most prestigious institutes in the country. “In high school, I was not a standout athlete. I wasn’t recruited heavily by track schools and track programs,” she told USA Today, while also mentioning how her mother always encouraged her to chase her passion despite the family living in poverty. “It’s really easy to fall in love with running,” she admitted soon after, noting how her inkling for the sport didn’t meddle with her medical career either.

Now, with 5 Olympic medals in the bag, it’s been quite a ride for Gabby. And now, with all she’s received from the sport, it remains to be seen if she can use her gray matter to give something back to her beloved world of track.