For Gabby Thomas, sprinting was just as important as her other ventures in academics and welfare. However, she recently admitted that it wasn’t always this way and that her mother pushed her into the sport.
Thomas appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where she discussed her life and accomplishments with RuPaul. She credited her mother for her success and explained how she pushed her to excel in academics and take up athletics, particularly track and field.
Confessing that she wasn’t initially interested in athletics but wanted to play softball because of her friends. Recounting how the whole saga led her to where she is today, she talked to the drag queen about how the decision emerged.
“Track and field was not my first love…but my mom had another idea. And I don’t know if you know black households but you don’t really get to talk back.”
It turns out that Thomas’ mother wanted her to join the University’s athletics team, firmly believing that it was the right choice for her daughter. Three Olympic golds later, the sprinter hailed her mother for the decision, crediting her with her success.
“I want to thank you so much for forcing me to do track and field…you knew what you were doing.”
The 27-year-old’s mother, Jennifer Randall, was in the audience watching her daughter with all the pride she could muster. After RuPaul pointed out her presence and Thomas thanked her for all her contributions to her career, she spoke up with some sass.
“Always listen to your mama!”
While Thomas’ mother’s words of wisdom resonated at the moment, they also reflected the solid foundation that had propelled the young athlete to even greater heights on the world stage.
Thomas’ Olympic win trumped all her achievements
Thomas won three golds at the Olympics—200m, 4x100m, and 4x400m—thus making her one of the dominant figures on the track. However, she has many more achievements in her trunk that fans have appreciated over the years.
With a degree in neurobiology and a postgraduate degree in public health and epidemiology, Thomas had already curated an impressive resume for herself. To top it all off, when fans learned that she also volunteered at her local healthcare facility, she won their hearts.
In a candid Q&A session, Thomas read one of her fans’ posts on X, listing all her milestones and how she still won three gold medals at the Olympics.
She was honored at first but then chose to keep it real with the audience—none of her achievements came close to the golds. Making it to the Olympic team itself is a significant milestone, let alone winning a gold in every category she participated in.
