Olympian Gabby Thomas Overcomes Doubts, Trains with the Best to Reach Tokyo

In 2025, American athlete Gabby Thomas reflected on the difficult period she faced while pursuing her dream of competing at the Tokyo Olympics. Back in 2018, Thomas had turned professional, forgoing her final year of NCAA eligibility. Over the next few years, she made steady improvements to her performance, but in 2020, she decided to take a leap of faith and move to Texas to train alongside other Olympians with the goal of making the US team for the Tokyo Games.

Thomas admitted that she was extremely uncomfortable with the move, as she felt she was not as talented as her training peers. However, this motivated her to work harder and develop the self-belief needed to compete at the highest level. "One, I wasn't as talented as everyone else, so we'll start there. Track is subjective. So, you look at the times, and my times were not as fast as everyone else, and where I was at that point was not good enough for me to get into the Olympic team," she said.

Despite the initial struggles, Thomas credited the intense training in Texas for her eventual success at the Tokyo Olympics. "The training in Texas is really challenging; it's intense; it is hot, but being a part of this atmosphere and this environment has really gotten me where I'm today," she expressed. Thomas is currently focused on recovering from a prolonged Achilles injury and hopes to make a strong comeback in the 2026 track season.