‘They can become hostile’ – Gabby Thomas opens up about harassment and being stalked as a female athlete

Gabby Thomas recently highlighted the rising issue of stalking and harassment in women’s sports. The triple Olympic gold medalist had previously missed the top spot at the Grand Slam Track edition held in Miami.

In a recent interview with Elle magazine, Thomas recalled how such stalkers feel they’re entitled to access female athletes. She also recounted the airport incident in January, about which she had posted earlier on her TikTok account.

“A big part of the problem is that people feel entitled to accessing athletes as a whole, but especially women. And a lot of the time when we don’t grant them that access, they can become hostile, and sometimes start to harass, which is what happened to me at the airport during my TikTok incident,” Thomas said.

Thomas had previously uploaded a TikTok video, where she claimed that she was afraid of traveling alone, because some middle-aged men continued to follow her to the airport. In her words,

“At this point every time I travel, these men, it’s 3-6 of them, middle-aged, they are gonna show up and harass me. It doesn’t matter what city. They’ve come when I was traveling to and from Chicago, they’ve come when I’m traveling to and from Miami. And they have my flight information.”

Gabby Thomas will be seen in action soon at the next edition of the Grand Slam Track. The third edition will be held at Franklin Field in Philadelphia from May 31 to June 1.

Gabby Thomas sends valuable advice to the upcoming generation

Gabby Thomas recently shared some valuable advice for the future generation of athletes. The triple Olympic gold medalist urged youngsters to pursue their passion and believe in themselves.

In a conversation with Athlos [posted on their Instagram account], Thomas remarked,

“To the young girls and boys who might be watching believe in yourself. When I was young, I had big dreams too. Dreams that often times scared because I felt like they were too far away.”

She further added,

“Your dreams no matter how big they are, are valid. Dreaming big means going outside of your comfort zone. It means working hard even when nobody is watching and believing in yourself even when if feels hard. Remember your dreams can inspire others one day. So, Don’t hold back. be bold. be brave and dream big.”

Gabby Thomas had won three gold medals in women’s 200m, women’s 4x100m relay, and women’s 4x400m relay at the Paris Olympics. The 28-year-old sprinter aims to extend her dominance at the World Championships, scheduled to be held in September at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

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alt=”Animesh Pandey” height=”72″ width=”72″>

Animesh Pandey is a seasoned content writer at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience, having previously worked as an intern for Follow Your Sport before joining SK as a columnist in 2017. A graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing, he also worked at TFI Media Private Limited and contributed as an intern for the movie website Nettv4u.

He has extensively covered events from World Championships to the Olympics, providing insights and analyses that resonate with his audience. His belief in mastering the basics and delivering accurate, relevant, and ethical information through thorough research is reflected in his work.

He was notably invited to the National Sports and Adventure Awards 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan after winning a MyGov quiz on Indian Sports, where he engaged with celebrated athletes such as Rahi Sarnobat, Hima Das, Jinson Johnson, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, and Subedar Neeraj Chopra, who also happens to be his favorite Olympian.

Despite being a field hockey enthusiast, Animesh’s most cherished Olympic moments include Wayde Van Niekerk’s unexpected world record in the 400 meters at Rio and Chopra’s historic gold medal in Tokyo.

When not immersed in writing or watching the Olympics, Animesh indulges in his love for movies, embracing quality cinema regardless of the language.

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Edited by Anisha Chatterjee