Gabby Thomas, an American sprinter, has been on the minds of all track-and-field enthusiasts. And how can anyone forget her impressive 200-meter gold medal sprint at the 2024 Paris Olympics, in which she ran 21.83 seconds? But when many athletes juggle to keep up with their education and sports, this three-time Olympic gold medalist was outperforming, not only on the field but also in her academics.

Thomas did, in fact, attend Harvard and graduate with considerably more than a degree. If you, too, are curious to know more about her academic background, without further ado, let’s take a peek at how this track athlete became a literal genius while dominating his sport. 

Gabby Thomas’s Academic Background and Educational Qualifications

As mentioned earlier, Gabby Thomas isn’t your average athlete. While most of us were stressing over college finals, she was juggling Ivy League coursework and rewriting Harvard’s track record books. Thomas graduated from Harvard in 2019 with a degree in neurobiology and a secondary focus in global health policy. This means she spent her college years studying brain science by day and smashing sprint records by night.

This means that during her time at Harvard, she didn’t just participate in track; she owned it. Thomas set eight all-time university records, including six individual event marks and two relay team records. After Harvard, she earned a master’s in public health, specializing in epidemiology, from the University of Texas. She completed that in May 2023, just a year before her Olympic triumph.

However, her studies reflect a passion for tackling global health issues, like disease prevention and healthcare access. As she once put it, “Understanding neurobiology gave me the foundation to excel in track—it taught me discipline, focus, and how the body works at its core.”

How Gabby Thomas Balanced Her Studies with an Elite Athletic Career

Balancing Ivy League academics with Olympic-level training sounds like a recipe for burnout. But for Thomas, it is a bit different. She treated it like another race to win.

At Harvard, she wasn’t just a student-athlete; she was a two-time Ivy League Most Outstanding Track Performer (2017 and 2018) and even broke the NCAA 200-meter record. All while tackling a neurobiology curriculum that would make most of us cry. Her secret was none other than ruthless time management. Think of her schedule: morning lectures on brain chemistry, afternoon track workouts, and late-night study sessions.

But here’s the wild part about her: she kept this grind going during her master’s program. While training for the 2024 Olympics, Thomas was analyzing disease patterns and public health policies for her degree. “There were days I’d finish a 10k training session and dive straight into a research paper,” she admitted.

And when it comes to Thomas, she credits her academic rigor for sharpening her mental game. “Neurobiology taught me how to optimize my body’s performance,” she said. “I approached track like a science experiment—testing limits, adjusting variables.” Basically, she treated her races like lab projects. And honestly? It worked.

Now, after winning a Gold medal at the Olympics, Thomas isn’t slowing down. Her 2025 calendar also seems quite jam-packed. She is now eyeing the new Grand Slam Track series in Miami to be held between May 2 and 4. Also, expect her to dominate the 100m and 200m sprints, and yes, she’ll likely add more gold to her collection at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. What’s your opinion on her being a prodigy? Comment and let us know.