As Gabby Thomas gears up for the Grand Athlos event on October 10, 2025, the American sprinter carries the weight of her Olympic legacy. A Harvard grad with a blazing 200m stride, Thomas stormed the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, snagging a Bronze in the 200m with a 21.87 third-place finish and a Silver in the 4x100m relay. Despite her speed and grit that made her a standout, the road to those medals was anything but smooth. So, what challenges did she face before her Tokyo triumph?
Just weeks before the U.S. Olympic Trials, Thomas hit a terrifying speed bump. On a YouTube podcast The Squeeze, she opened up about a harrowing health scare: “That was a really stressful time period. So, I did have a slight hamstring injury strain. And I got a routine MRI for that. In the MRI, they found a mass on my liver.” As someone who devoured health research papers, Thomas initially brushed it off, thinking, “It’s probably fine. I think most people have masses in their bodies that they will never be aware of because they don’t get MRIs as frequently as athletes do.”
But she recalls her doctor’s words, which hit hard: “No, this looks bad. You should get further checked on.” Three weeks from the Trials, her world tilted. How do you focus on running when your health is in question?
Sports: The ESPYS Red Carpet Jul 16, 2025 Los Angeles, CA, USA Gabby Thomas on the red carpet before the ESPYS at The Dolby Theatre. Los Angeles The Dolby Theatre CA USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKirbyxLeex 20250716_tdc_al2_010
The fear was real. “I was really stressed out,” Thomas recalled. Yet, in that moment of uncertainty, she made a vow: “If I make it out of this, okay, then I’m putting it all on the line because I’m so grateful to be healthy and alive and I’m living out my dream.” That promise to herself and to God became her fuel. Thankfully, further tests confirmed the mass was benign, and she was cleared to compete. But how did this scare shape her mindset?
The ordeal left Thomas with a renewed sense of gratitude. “It definitely shifted my mindset a bit,” she said. “It made me really truly so grateful to be able to run and do what I love.” That perspective powered her to Tokyo’s podium and now drives her toward Grand Athlos. What’s next for this resilient sprinter?
Gabby Thomas lights up Athlos NYC 2025
Gabby Thomas is set to blaze the track on October 10, 2025, at Icahn Stadium at Athlos NYC, a women ’ s-only meet she co-founded with Alexis Ohanian. As a triple Olympic gold medalist from Paris 2024, Thomas brings star power to this electrifying event, which drew over three million viewers last year. In 2024, she raced the 200m, finishing second to Brittany Brown with a time of 22.21, just behind Brown’s 22.18. The meet’s $663,000 prize purse, with $60,000 for each race winner, makes it a game-changer for women’s track. Why is Thomas so invested in this event?
Beyond her role as a competitor, Thomas is a driving force behind Athlos’ mission to elevate women’s sports. “The moment I stepped into Icahn last year, it was immediately apparent that we had to do it again—somehow even bigger,” Ohanian said, echoing Thomas’ vision. The 2025 edition promises a stacked lineup, including Olympic champs like Masai Russell and Marileidy Paulino, plus a mystery musical guest to cap the night.
With her 200m Olympic gold and a passion for change, Thomas is redefining track’s future. What will she unleash at Athlos 2025?
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