As the fourth fastest woman in the world in the 200 meters, Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Thomas will be pursuing more than just gold at the Paris Olympics. The 27-year-old sprinter will be the underdog as she races down the 200m track, chasing Florence Griffith-Joyner’s historic 1988 record. Yet, Thomas is no stranger to being the underdog. Raised by a single mother, Thomas knows the value of resilience.

While speaking with The Guardian’s Sean Ingle, Gabby Thomas outlined her goal for the upcoming Olympics. However, she didn’t forget to mention the woman who raised an Olympian on the cusp of making history. The Tokyo Olympics double medalist explained how the values her mother, Jennifer Randall, instilled in her continue to drive her to achieve success.

“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.” said Gabby Thomas. Despite struggling to ends meet as a “low-income” single mother, Randall ensured Thomas would get a “good” education. “That put that underdog mentality in me,” the 4x100m world champion told The Guardian.

“I felt like I needed to prove that I belonged in every space that I was in.” said the Olympian. Seeing her mother struggle to provide opportunities she never had only fueled the fire in Thomas’ belly. The track and field star didn’t just excel in sports but also in academics. Thomas took it upon herself to excel at Harvard University, once again drawing inspiration from her mother.

Today, Jennifer Randall has become one of the leading psychometrics scholars in America and possibly the world. However, Gabby Thomas’ success on the track led her to put her PhD on hold to chase Olympic glory. After earning a silver and a bronze in Tokyo, the two-time World Championships medalist has set her sights on gold.

Does Gabby Thomas have a shot at dethroning Flo-Jo in Paris?

With a week left until the 2024 Paris Olympics, it’s clear that Gabby Thomas is a favorite to win 200m gold. Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah withdrew from the Jamaican Trials due to an Achilles injury. Herah is also the second fastest woman after Florence Griffith-Joyner. The 27-year-old’s other Jamaican rival, the third-fastest female 200m sprinter, has also been plagued by injuries and poor form.

So the stage is set for the U.S. track and field icon to rewrite history in Paris. However, Joyner’s record has stood in a league of its own since 1988. As things stand, Gabby Thomas, at her fastest, has been 0.26 seconds slower than Flo-Jo. The world champion’s 21.81-second 200m sprint at the Olympic Trials wasn’t even her fastest.

However, Gabby Thomas has the talent to persevere under pressure. With a lifetime of resilience instilled by her mother, will the underdog sprint into the history books? Thankfully, we don’t have to wait too long to find out.