While Gabby Thomas' 2025 season didn't turn out the way she wanted to due to an Achilles injury, she's making waves in a new era of athlete influence, reshaping how women's sports influence brands and fans. 

Her growing presence in athlete partnerships like Nulo pet food has become just as compelling as her performances in the 200 meters, earning her a spot in the best athlete partnerships of the year. 

Thomas's reaction to the inclusion was simple. She shared the post on her Instagram story with the words “Rico and I made it 🥰❤️.” 

Rico is her pug, who joined her in the ‘Fuel Incredible’ campaign with Nulo pet food.

In just five words, Rhomas captured the joy of being recognized alongside names like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Ilona Maher.

Gabby Thomas's brand building

Before adversity struck, Gabby Thomas was drawing attention from everywhere. 

She impressed in Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track league, competed at the ATX Sprint Classic, and finished third in the 200m at the U.S. Championships with a time of 22.20 seconds.

In October 2025, she attended a meet at Icahn Stadium after being named an advisor-owner of Athlos. It is a women-only track league founded by entrepreneur and Serena William's spouse, Alexis Ohanian. 

Thomas also mentioned plans for Athlos’ new team-based model league in 2026, aiming to provide sustainable earning options for track athletes. 

Being sidelined from the World Athletics Championship in Tokyo didn't disrupt her momentum. Thomas is working double the amount to pull a strong comeback for the 2026 season.

“I’ll be back,” she told Olympics.com while talking about her plans for the delayed yet normal 2026 season. 

While athletes like Caitlin Clark are reshaping women's influence in sports like basketball with her Nike collab, Gabby Thomas is doing the same in track and field. 

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu