"Prior to that I wasn’t very religious" - When Gabby Thomas opened up about finding solace in prayer after tumor diagnosis

Gabby Thomas once shared how she found solace in prayer after being diagnosed with a tumor in her liver. The diagnosis came after she experienced hamstring pain and underwent an MRI of her lower back.

Thomas learned about the tumor just before the 2020 US Olympic Track and Field Trials, which were held in 2021. She feared that if the tumor was cancerous, she might need treatment, potentially forcing her to miss the trials or even the Olympics.

Following the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021, she revealed in an interview with The Independent in September 2021 that she was very anxious and losing focus after the news. She also shared that she turned to prayer after her liver tumor diagnosis, despite not being very religious before.

“I ended up praying so much; honestly, prior to that I wasn’t very religious, but when things like that are happening, it’s very hard not to be", she said during the interview.

Fortunately, Gabby Thomas’ tumor turned out to be non-threatening which allowed her to fully focus on making the Olympic squad. She did not disappoint, qualifying for her maiden Olympic Games with an impressive 21.61s run in the 200m at the trials, which was also a world-leading performance.

On her debut Olympics, Thomas delivered a remarkable performance as she returned home with two medals, including a silver in the women’s 4x100m relay and a bronze in the individual 200m event.

Since making her Olympic debut in Tokyo, Gabby Thomas has established herself as one of the world’s top sprinters. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she collected three gold medals. She not only earned individual gold in the 200m but also played instrumental roles in the USA’s victories in the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay events at the quadrennial games.

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Gabby Thomas on how her liver tumor was an inspiration to serve in healthcare systems

Gabby Thomas at Paris Olympics. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Gabby Thomas shared that her liver tumor diagnosis was an eye-opener for her and encouraged her to work in healthcare systems. In an interview with Track and Field News in June 2022, she talked about how the challenges she faced despite having resources made her realize how much more difficult it would be for people without any privileges. She recalled:

“I’m just imagining, ‘I’m sitting here with all of the resources that you can imagine at my disposal, someone with a healthcare background, someone who has USA Track & Field and USOPC staff working on my behalf on this and helping me out, and I don’t even have to pay a dime. None of this is coming out of my pocket, and I’m dealing with all of this frustration. I’m trying to get it done in a timely manner and I’m just so grateful to have all these people working for me.'”

“But it made me really think, “OK, well, what if I didn’t have these resources? What if I had to pay for this out of pocket?... It was eye-opening. It really validated why I went into what I wanted to study, which is epidemiology, and I want to be able to go and work in the healthcare systems.”

It is worth noting that Thomas completed her master’s in epidemiology from the University of Texas Health Science Center in 2023. She has also served at a volunteer healthcare clinic in Austin.