Harvard graduate Gabby Thomas works at a Texas health clinic and trains for Paris

Harvard graduate Gabby Thomas works at a Texas health clinic and trains for Paris
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Track and field athlete Gabby Thomas from the United States usually spends a full day at it. She trains for three to six hours during the day in order to be ready for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

She does, however, work nights at a volunteer health clinic in Austin, Texas, serving the uninsured.

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How does one of her sport’s fastest athletes manage to fit everything in? She says her mother taught her the value of hard work. Thomas’s mother worked as a server and attended college to become a professor while she and her twin brother were little.

Thomas, 27, said NBC News, “Growing up, she demonstrated to me firsthand what it’s like to pursue your goals, succeed in them, and become successful.” “I saw her raise us and accomplish all of that on her own.”

While studying neuroscience at Harvard University, Thomas had an early interest in healthcare. She enrolled in a course that examined the differences in the American healthcare system and how they affect people of color. She obtained a master’s degree in public health from the University of Texas following her graduation from Harvard, which she still utilizes today.

She told Olympics.com, “I get to go to the clinic, volunteer, and change people’s lives.” I therefore feel incredibly content and passionate about everything I do. And all of it truly stems from thankfulness.

Despite competing in high school, Thomas didn’t begin to receive recognition for her track skills until she attended Harvard. It was there that she broke the women’s 200-meter NCAA indoor collegiate record.

“I forced myself to just get better at everything I was doing by pushing myself in the classroom, in my extracurricular activities, and on the track,” she told NBC News.

Thomas attributes her performance in the Tokyo Games to this motivation. She placed third in the women’s 200-meter race and second in the women’s 4×100-meter relay. She also thinks that her success as an athlete is influenced by her extracurricular activities.

“I basically ran track part-time to get successful in track and field,” the woman remarked. “And I believe that having other things in my life that help me achieve my goals and feel fulfilled is really important for my mental health.”

Thomas is currently preparing for the Paris Games by competing in the track and field trials. She advanced to the semifinal on Friday after posting a timing of 22.11 seconds in her heat on Thursday. She intends to enter the finals the following evening.

While Thomas hopes to bring home additional medals from the Paris Games, she also has a more important objective in mind: managing a hospital or nonprofit organization to increase access to healthcare.

“I hope that I’m continuing to follow my passions, which is what I’m doing right now,” she remarked.

She hopes that in the meanwhile, the new generation of athletes will find inspiration in her narrative.

She told Olympics.com, “All the younger females who are watching, especially the young ladies of color, should take note of this message.” Just remember that although there may be people who try to pull you down, you can achieve anything. Just keep moving forward and you can accomplish everything you set your mind to.”

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