Gabby Thomas clears up major 'misconception' about track athletes' salaries after turning pro

Gabby Thomas recently shed some light on the salaries of track and field stars, suggesting that there is a 'misconception' on the amount of money which professional track athletes recieve on a regular basis. Following her impressive performance at the 2024 Olympics, the track and field star has made multiple public appearances discussing her Olympic experience and future.

The three-time Olympic gold medalist shared her thoughts with Your Rich BFF (Vivian Tu) on The Networth and Chill Podcast.

"Another misconception is that there is no salary for us once you're a professional runner. There is no like league that you're going into where you get a salary. In fact professional runner is not even a real term.

Anyone can kind of say they're a professional runner, you could go for a jog outside and say you're training for the Olympics and call yourself a professional to be honest," Gabby Thomas said.

Thomas also mentioned how one of the misconceptions were about being a professional, where she mentioned the costs to pay for her coaches, agents and other sporting facilities were all out of pocket and much higher compared to when she was in high school.

Thomas highlighted how she relied on her sponsorships and endorsements to help cover costs, revealing how her first sponsorship deal with New Balance allowed her to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Following the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 28 year old from Atlanta competed at the Athlos Track Meet, where she finished second in the 200m event. While she didn't get the win, she was delighted with her performance and was grateful for the opportunity to race.

Gabby Thomas takes a moment to herself before competing in the Athlos Track Meet (Image via Getty)

The three-time Olympic gold medalist is already eyeing success at the 2028 Olympics, which will be hosted in Los Angeles. In an interview with TIME magazine, she stated how her medals showed her what she was truly capable of and how much winning in her home country would mean to her.

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Gabby Thomas on how her mother helped shape her Olympic journey

Gabby Thomas at The Olympic Games Paris 2024 (Image via Getty)

In an interview with Olympics.com in June 2024, Gabby Thomas disclosed how her mother worked as a single parent with very little resources, which led her to realize the importance of hard work and determination.

"It really showed me what true work ethic was, and it showed me that you can achieve your dreams through hard work.... [through that] anything is possible."

Thomas added that her mother also stressed on the importance of education in her life, along with her athletic goals.

"[Education] has gotten me to where I am today. I think I am following in the footsteps of my mum."

Thomas graduated from Harvard University in 2019 with a degree in neurobiology and global health. She also minored in global health and health policy. In 2023, she received her master's degree in public health from the University of Texas Health Science Center.

Having notched three gold medals already at last year’s Olympics, Thomas' next goal will be to extend her medal tally at the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo. She will also aim to put on a good display at the inaugural Grand Slam Track due to start in April.