Gabby Thomas reacts to winning the USATF Jackie Joyner-Kersee Athlete of the Year award ahead of Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone and others

Gabby Thomas has been named the winner of the 2024 USATF Athlete of the Year award. The Harvard graduate won the award on the back of an incredible season, which included a staggering triple gold medal triumph at the Paris Olympics.

Thomas kicked off her season at the New Balance Grand Prix in February, running over the 300m short track. She went on to compete at the 2024 World Relays, helping the USA win the 4x100m and 4x400m relays. She qualified with ease for the Paris Olympics, running 21.81s for the win at the U.S. Trials.

With reigning world champion Shericka Jackson out of the competition, Thomas was the overwhelming favorite for the 200m Olympic title. The 27-year-old executed the exact storyline, winning comfortably in 21.83s before adding two more gold medals to her name in the 4x100m and 4x400m relay.

Thomas was nominated for the USATF Jackie Joyner-Kersee Athlete of the Year award alongside Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Tara Davis-Woodhall, Valarie Allman, and Masai Russell and has now been declared the winner. The five-time Olympic medalist was overjoyed and emotional, and expressed gratitude for being declared the winner.

"🥹🙏," she wrote

The 27-year-old was earlier nominated for the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year award as well. However, she lost the vote to 400m world record 'breaker' Mclaughlin-Levrone and 100m Olympic champion Julien Alfred.

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Gabby Thomas credits her versatility to her mother Jennifer Randall

Athletics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Gabby Thomas wins 200m gold (Source: Getty)

Speaking on the podcast 'Why Not Me? with Mike Jackson', Gabby Thomas revealed that her mother Jennifer Randall grew up in a poor neighborhood, and on her way to becoming a professor at the University of Massachusetts, she did various jobs such as waitressing and daycare.

"Watching my mom go from waitressing, working at a daycare, going back to school, she continued school at Emory and got her PhD in education, and my brother and I were part of that. We watched all of it. We were there in her evening classes when she couldn't find a baby sitter and we had to sit in class with her," Gabby Thomas said [4:20 onwards].

Thomas added that watching their mother fight through life, a 'hustle' culture developed in their family.

"We watched her work and do school and also take care of us and drive us to soccer practices and basketball practices and not complain about it. It was kind of like this was a normal, I'm gonna hustle because this is my dream and I want better for myself and I want better for you all," Gabby Thomas added.

The 27-year-old was a committed neurobiology and global health student at Harvard University before being an aspiring Olympian. On her way to winning five Olympic medals and two world medals, Thomas completed her master's degree in public health and epidemiology at the University of Texas. She is also volunteering at a Austin healthcare clinic while preparing for the 2025 season.