New Balance professional athlete Gabby Thomas, a Harvard graduate pursuing her Master's degree in public health at the University of Texas, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss her season debut and first competition in 176 days when she is scheduled to race Jan. 24 in the 60-meter dash and 300 meters at the first American Track League indoor competition at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark. Thomas, the collegiate indoor record holder and No. 2 all-time in the U.S. in the 200 meters at 22.38 seconds, also ranks No. 3 in American indoor history in the 300 meters at 35.98. She expresses gratitude for her agent and meet organizer Paul Doyle for providing domestic indoor track opportunities for professional athletes during the pandemic, in addition to her training group under the guidance of coach Tonja Buford-Bailey for continuing to provide motivation and support during the most unique and unprecedented year of her career. Thomas analyzes how much she has benefited from workouts with fellow American athletes Morolake Akinosun, Ashley Spencer, Ashley Henderson and Kendall Baisden, along with Jamaicans Rushelle Burton and Shiann Salmon. She examines the importance of having a limited outdoor schedule last year at meets in Texas and Georgia, along with a brief indoor schedule this winter, including what she hopes is a return Feb. 13 to the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Roxbury, Mass. Thomas is joined during the conversation by her new dog Rico, a Pug she rescued in December, and reveals how it has inspired her teammates to seek adopting dogs of their own. She also shares her reactions to Kamala Harris being sworn in as vice president and the significance of that moment to Thomas as an African-American woman, but also speaks about how much work needs to be done to make COVID-19 vaccines available to all citizens in an expeditious manner. Thomas also provides an update on her ongoing work with Sedera, a Medical Cost Sharing Community aiming to provide more accessible and equitable health care to minorities. 

DYESTAT DISCUSSIONS - EP34 - GABBY THOMAS