Gabby Thomas Shares the 4-Word Mantra Behind Her Wildly Successful Year

Gabrielle "Gabby" Thomas is sure of herself. Not in a bad way. But in the kind of humble confidence that exudes, "I know what it took for me to get here and I did that." She's put in the hard work and it shows. After a victorious Paris Olympics, Thomas isn't changing up her strategy either. "I'll continue to do what got me success," she tells me in a Zoom call one July afternoon ahead of the 2025 ESPY Awards.

This year, Thomas is nominated for Best Athlete in Women's Sports — and she's in good company. Alongside her: Simone Biles, A'ja Wilson, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. All four are household names and all four Black women, might I add (it's too iconic not to mention). Thomas, like her co-nominees, had a standout year — to say the least.

In case you missed Thomas's 2024 Olympic performance (which I doubt, because those replays were everywhere), the 28-year-old sprinter brought home three gold medals: in the individual 200-meter race and as part of the 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams. She's the first woman to win gold in the 200-meter race since Allyson Felix in 2012.

"This past year has been absolutely incredible and such a whirlwind for me. Coming home with three Olympic gold medals is something out my wildest dreams — just from growing up and watching the athletes like Allyson Felix and now being in that company is such an amazing feeling," Thomas tells Popsugar. But her accomplishments were the product of countless hours of training, sacrifices in social life, and a type of dedication she commends herself on.

"Training for the 100, 200, and 400 definitely is difficult: very different race patterns, very different types of training. And it takes a lot of discipline and intentionality to master those three disciplines and have that range," Thomas says. "So I think I'm most proud of being able to accomplish that. It's something that not a lot of athletes do."

Her secret to this type of discipline is a simple four-word mantra: "chop wood, carry water." The phrase originates from Zen Buddism and means to make time for the everyday tasks — the mundane. For Thomas, that translates to: do what works for you. It means relying on the strong foundation that got you where you are today, the basics. "It's something that I tell myself often while I train, because we're in it for the long game," she says.

Each Olympics has been an intentional era in her life, Thomas says. Tokyo was an introduction, full of excitement. Paris, she had something to prove. "I really felt like I had to win my gold medals and showcase what I've been working on all those years," Thomas says. For Los Angeles 2028, it's all about "solidifying my legacy."

From the outside looking in, Thomas is already well on her way to accomplishing that. In the past few years she's made a name for herself in both sport and fashion — from her involvement in Athlos, a new athlete-led track league, to sitting front row at New York fashion week and gracing the cover of Vogue.

"That's such a big part of why I do what I do. It's showing that you are unstoppable and you can do anything," Thomas says. Too often, they expect women athletes to "stay in your lane — no pun intended," Thomas says. But she's on a mission to sprint outside the lines, unafraid to take big strides in both sport and fashion. It's part of the reason she was so excited to partner with TJ Maxx ahead of the ESPYs to create a unique look that speaks to her both professionally and personally.

"The outfit is really fun. It's really elegant. It's uniquely me," Thomas says. In light of her recently engagement, she chose something white with standout detailing. But the best part about the look, Thomas says, is that she's feels supremely confident in it. That's what she loves about the natural marriage of fashion and sport, particularly track and field. She's found a freedom to be herself.

"[In track and field], we have always been about style and fashion and how can we match our energy with what we're wearing," Thomas says. It's a "look good, feel good, run good" kind of sport. From legends like Florence Griffith Joyner to newer change makers like Sha'carri Richardson, the track has always been a place where the athletes are unabashedly expressive. Thomas aims to be no different. "A big part of what I do is leaving the sport better than I found it, which means inspiring the next generation," Thomas says.

"I think especially being a Black woman, it's about being that representation to younger Black girls and showing that you can be yourself and you can be powerful and successful," Thomas went on to say. "You can put yourself out there and be different, and you know that will be enough."

Alexis Jones (she/her) is the senior health and fitness editor at PS. In her seven years of editorial experience, Alexis has developed passions and areas of expertise around mental health, women's health and fitness, racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, and chronic conditions. Prior to joining PS, she was the senior editor at Health magazine. Her other bylines can be found at Women's Health, Prevention, Marie Claire, and more