"We were low income and African American"- Gabby Thomas recalls her humble beginnings as she heads to Paris after winning London Diamond League

Reigning 200m world championship silver medalist Gabby Thomas reflected on her humble beginnings as she heads for the Paris Olympics 2024 following her victory in the London Diamond League on Saturday.

Thomas is a Tokyo Olympic silver and bronze medalist in the 200m and 4x100m relay events. She has also clinched a silver and a gold at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in the 200m and 4x100m relay, respectively. At the 2024 US Olympic Trials organized in June at the Hayward Field Stadium in Eugene, the 27-year-old punched her ticket to her second successive Summer Games after winning the women's 200m final in 21.81 seconds.

In the most recent event and the last before the Paris Olympics, Thomas blazed through Stratford's London Stadium on Saturday, July 21, to win the women's 200m at the London Diamond League. She clocked 19.82 seconds, setting a new meet record to win the race.

However, being one of the most successful women's sprinters in the world, life was not always a bed of roses for Thomas. Being raised by her mother, Jennifer Randall, as a single parent, she faced several challenges back in the day. However, Thomas' mother taught her how to persevere and thrive even when circumstances were not in their favor.

As per the The Guardian, she said:

"She grew up in true poverty in Mobile, Alabama. But she went after it. And she just showed me through her actions, what it was like to do the same".

While talking about her financial hardships at the time and her mother's determination, Thomas added:

"We were low income and African American, but my mum was trying to set us up to be successful, which meant we were in predominantly white spaces, going to good schools on scholarship."

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"They can be who they want to be" - Gabby Thomas on how she wants to inspire youngsters as an African-American

London Athletics Meet - Diamond League 2024

Gabby Thomas' life beyond track is equally inspiring, as she earned her master's degree in public health with a concentration in epidemiology from the University of Texas last year in May. When not running, the American icon spends her time assisting at a healthcare center in Austin that helps uninsured people with healthcare amenities.

Speaking about inspiring youth, the Harvard graduate stated:

"It’s important for me to show by example. I love representing myself as an African American woman and I want to show young people that they can be who they want to be. That you can go to Harvard. That you can win an Olympic medal."

Talking about her Paris Olympics aspirations, particularly Florence Griffith-Joyner's 21.34-second world record, Gabby Thomas said that the feat is within her reach if the French conditions favor her.