'They join an innovative group'-Gabby Thomas takes major step in track & field growth amid growing concerns

Gabby Thomas is an accomplished track star that won three gold medals at the Paris Olympic Games

'They join an innovative group'-Gabby Thomas takes major step in track & field growth amid growing concerns

Festus Chuma 21:25 - 17.01.2025

US sprint queen Gabby Thomas joins the Women’s Sports Foundation Board, advocating for gender equity and better conditions in track and field.

Triple Olympics champion Gabby Thomas has taken a groundbreaking step towards shaping the future of track and field.

Following her gold-medal victory in the 200m race at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Thomas has joined the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) Board of Trustees, aligning herself with a movement dedicated to advancing gender equity in sports.

Thomas’ appointment comes at a time when track and field athletes are speaking out about the sport's deep-rooted struggles, from financial disparities to inadequate training conditions.

Fellow athletes, including 100m champion Noah Lyles and long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall, have openly criticized the stark contrast between track and field and other professional sports.

Lyles, in particular, has highlighted the inequities athletes face, stating, “WNBA and NBA players walk off the bus, they go to a locker room… For us, we get to the track and go sit under a damn tent.”

Meanwhile, Davis-Woodhall has been vocal about the severe pay gap, famously revealing that some track and field athletes receive as little as $160 in prize money.

Despite these challenges, Thomas continues to make history. Her triumph in Paris made her the first American woman since Allyson Felix in 2012 to win Olympic gold in the 200m event.

But Thomas is not just collecting medals—she’s advocating for long-overdue change in the sport.

Her recent appointment to the Women’s Sports Foundation places her among an elite group of trailblazers.

WSF, founded in 1974 by tennis legend Billie Jean King, has been a driving force for gender equality in sports for nearly 50 years. The foundation works to provide opportunities, funding, and advocacy for women and girls in athletics.

In announcing Thomas’ addition to the board, WSF emphasized the importance of her role in their mission.

“They join an innovative group of cross-sector experts who are fiercely fighting for gender equity throughout the sports ecosystem,” the foundation stated on Instagram.

Thomas now stands alongside notable figures such as WSF president and seven-time U.S. champion Paralympian Scout Bassett, as well as Aimee Mullins, the first adaptive athlete to compete in NCAA Division 1 track and field.

The board also includes Lauryn Williams, a four-time Olympian and medalist in both the Summer and Winter Games.

The addition of Thomas to the WSF Board of Trustees signals a powerful shift in track and field’s battle for equality.

Her advocacy mirrors that of Allyson Felix, who has long fought for better conditions for female athletes, particularly those who return to competition after motherhood.

“I think we haven’t supported women in the right way, and it’s not that we are not capable, but women have struggled as athletes and being mothers,” Felix once said.