"That's crazy!"- Gabby Thomas' fiancé gives honest take on his reaction after Olympian followed him

Gabby Thomas' newly engaged fiance, Spener McManes, recalled being in awe after the sprinter followed in 2021. The couple started dating a year later and got engaged in March 2025.

Thomas made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and during that year, her friends suggested that she might get along with McManes, who played football at Yale, rivals of Harvard. However, when she checked his Instagram profile, Thomas said she was impressed by McManes' content creation skills and followed.

“I'm a huge fan of pizza myself—I was like, ‘This looks like really good quality content'," she said. “Almost immediately—he DM'd me,”

McManes was, however, surprised and asked her what she did to earn the honor.

“I got the notification that I had a new follower. I was like, ‘That's crazy! Gabby Thomas?’’” he said. “I immediately DM'd her and asked, “What did I do to earn a follow?”

The couple exchanged messages on social media for several months before Spencer asked her out on a date, and now they are engaged as well.

“I fell in love with him despite the fact he went to Yale,” Gabby said.

McManes, who is also founder of non-alcoholic seltzer brand Kaviva, has been regular at Thomas' international events, including at the 2024 Paris Olympics where they shared a warm hug after the American sprinter won the 200m Olympic gold medal.

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Gabby Thomas explains why she doesn't let her boyfriend, Spencer McManes, get involved in her track career

Gabby Thomas and Spencer McManes at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field - Day 9 - Source: Getty

While Gabby Thomas and her boyfriend Spencer Mcmanes have kept their personal lives private from the limelight, the three-time Olympic champion has claimed that she wouldn't allow him in her track career. The American sprinter claimed

"I wouldn’t really allow that. My training is between my team and I and my coach and I and my [physical therapist] and all of that. ... He’s a good balance. It’s good to have someone to come home to who isn’t in the track world," she said [via Huff Post]

Thomas has been coached by former Olympian Tonja-Bufford Bailey since turning professional in 2019. The pair have a successful partnership, winning five Olympic medals, including three golds and four World medals. She is set to make her season debut on March 29 at the Texas Relays.