Harvard-educated Gabby Thomas balances training for Paris while working at a Texas health clinic
A typical day for U.S. track and field athlete Gabby Thomas is a full 24 hours. During the day, she trains three to six hours in anticipation of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
But at night, she works at an Austin, Texas, volunteer health care clinic for people without insurance.
How does one of the fastest athletes in her sport find the time to do it all? She attributes that work ethic to her mother. When Thomas and her twin brother were young, their mom waitressed and took classes to become a professor.
“She showed me in real time growing up what it’s like to go after your dreams and to achieve them, and to become successful,” Thomas, 27, told NBC News. “I watched her just achieve all of that by herself and while raising us.”
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Thomas’ interest in health care began at Harvard University, where she studied neurobiology. She took a class about the disparities in the American health care system and its impact on people of color. After graduating from Harvard, she earned a master’s at the University of Texas in public health, which she uses today.
“I get to go the clinic and volunteer and make a difference in people’s lives,” she told Olympics.com. “So I feel so fulfilled, and I feel so passionate about everything I do. And (that all) really just comes from gratitude.”
Although Thomas competed in high school, it wasn’t until Harvard that she started winning accolades in track. That’s where she broke the NCAA indoor collegiate record in the women’s 200-meter.
Gabby Thomas wins a heat in the women's 200-meter run during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials on Thursday.Charlie Neibergall / AP
“I was pushing myself in the classroom, in my extracurriculars and on the track, and it forced me to just get better at everything I was doing,” she said to NBC News.
Thomas credits that drive to her success in the Tokyo Games, where she won bronze in the women’s 200-meter and silver in the women’s 4x100 meter relay. She also believes having additional interests outside of track plays a role in her athletic success.
“The way I became successful in track and field was basically running track part time,” she said. “And I think for me that’s really important for my mental health, just having other things in my life that helped fulfill, you know, my goals and make me feel fulfilled.”
Twanisha Terry and Gabby Thomas compete in the first round of the women's 200-meter on Thursday.Christian Petersen / Getty Images
Now looking ahead to the Paris Games, Thomas is competing in the track and field trials. On Thursday night, she posted a time of 22.11 seconds in her heat, advancing to the semifinal scheduled for Friday, and she hopes to make the finals the next night.
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Although Thomas has ambitions to win more medals at the Paris Games, she also has another meaningful goal in mind: running a hospital or a nonprofit to expand access to health care.
“I hope that I’m doing the same thing I’m doing now, which is letting my passions drive me,” she said.
In the meantime, she’s hoping her story serves as inspiration for the younger generation of athletes.
“This is a message to all the younger girls who are watching, especially the young women of colour,” she told Olympics.com. “Just know that the world might try to put you down, but the sky is the limit for you. You can achieve anything that you want to do — so just keep going."
Greg Hyatt is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.