5 Things You Don’t Know About Gabby Thomas

From her favorite dog breeds to her celebrity look-alikes, the athlete opened up on set at The Boca Raton.

Gabby Thomas / Sports Illustrated Swimsuit

Most of us know Gabby Thomas as a two-time Olympian who specializes in track and field events like 200 meter race. The Atlanta native is also a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Texas, and as of this May, a 2025 SI Swimsuit Issue model.

While on the set of her brand debut at The Boca Raton in Boca Raton, Fla., the 28-year-old athlete shared a few lesser-known facts about herself, from her biggest fear to her celebrity look-alike and more. Below, get to know Thomas a little bit better.

She’s not a fan of the 800 meter race...

Thomas is the the fourth-fastest woman in history in the 200 meter race with a record-breaking time of 21.60. And while she excels in numerous track and field events, there are some in her sport that she’s not particularly fond of.

“My biggest fear is my coach making me run the 800,” Thomas quips.

... Or this polarizing fashion trend

On a relatable note, Thomas’s biggest ick is a fashion-related faux pas: “People who wear socks with sandals,” she says.

The athlete has two celebrity doppelgängers

Who would play Thomas in a feature film about her life? Perhaps one of the two actresses whom she often gets compared to. “I get told [I look like] Gabrielle Union a lot and sometimes Zendaya,” Thomas states.

Thomas believes in aliens

While not everyone thinks extraterrestrials exist, Thomas sure does. “I believe in aliens, 100 percent,” she admits.

She loves a dog breed with this specific trait

Fans of Thomas are surely familiar with her pug pup, Rico, who has his own Instagram account and features regularly on the athlete’s own feed. “If I didn’t have a pug, I think that I would have a Frenchie,” Thomas says of her favorite dog breeds. “I just love the smush face.”