The Key to Gabby Thomas’s 2028 Olympic Training Is Manifestation—And Her Hyperbaric Chamber

There’s no right way to “do” wellness, but Marie Claire’s Doing Well offers a glimpse into the self-care mantras, therapies, and affirmations practiced by industry trailblazers.

Gabby Thomas doesn’t just want to add to her already impressive Olympic medal count. (Three gold, one silver, and one bronze ICYWW). The track and field champion has a much bigger goal: she wants to build a legacy.

“It really feels like everything is just coming together,” Thomas tells me over Zoom. “Of everything I’ve learned up to this point after Paris, I am definitely very proud of myself. But I’m also excited to continue my legacy and learn about myself because it’s just a process. In Paris, I saw what worked, what didn’t work, and there’s still room to grow.”

Part of that growth includes being more methodical in her training. To prepare for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she explains that it’s all about training smarter, not necessarily harder. “I’m focusing on my longevity, so I’m definitely prioritizing recovery and mental resilience just as much as my actual speed and strength,” she says.

When she’s not thinking about competing, she’s enjoying some major milestones that have happened as of late. In March, she announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend Spencer McManes. A meet-cute made for today’s digital-age dating era, McManes made the first move via an Instagram DM and sparked a romance for a lifetime. (Thomas’s pro-tip for sliding into those DMs: be funny (we love good banter) and, most importantly, be patient. “[Spencer] was in the DMs for about a year,” she adds). And most recently, she partnered with NOW Foods for its latest campaign “Be You, NOW.”

The campaign, which launched in May and also features Peloton instructor Emma Lovewell, celebrity yoga instructor Kristin McGee, and registered dietitian and nutritionist DJ Blatner, RD, is aimed at helping women celebrate their bodies and help them achieve their most optimal health with daily wellness tips and routine inspiration. “It’s about empowering women to feel their best every day, no matter they’re age; we’re celebrating women where they’re at and giving them inspiration to thrive and feel unstoppable,” Thomas says. “I think as an elite athlete, that definitely resonates. I need to balance and push myself to my limits, both physically and mentally. I do that [all] just by using the right mix of nutrients to support all aspects of my routine.”

But what else goes into her wellness routine? From using the power of visualization to making the most of her own personal hyperbaric chamber, she breaks down all the ways she takes care of her body and her mind for races and beyond.

Anytime I have anything coming up, I am visualizing everything very specifically so that by the time the race happens (or whatever big event I have coming up), I already know all the emotions that went into it [and] how I'm supposed to feel. [With] everything, I get really specific. So it helps me feel like I've already lived in the moment in a way. It's literally manifestation.

The only wellness media I actually use frequently now I think is when I go to sleep. In terms of recovery, I'll use soft sounds [or] white noise on Spotify. They have these amazing playlists with rain sounds.

A morning mantra that I give myself pretty frequently is, “How can I get 1 percent better?” It is very training specific, but I also do think it could apply to pretty much anything. It dials me back in if I have a super packed day or if I'm anxious. It's like, "Don't worry about all of that. What can I do? What can I focus on myself to just get a little bit better?”

My hyperbaric chamber. I am obsessed with it, and it is definitely the most expensive piece of my wellness routine. I'm just so big on recovery [and] feeling well rested. Obviously, you don't need [a] hyperbaric chamber for that, but I'm so invested in that part of my routine.

You can use it every day. I try to get into it at least one hour a day, which can be really challenging with my schedule, but that's a goal. If I am in competition or championship mode, it is definitely [used] the night before the competition, especially if we're doing rounds.

Probably my yoga mat. I use it every day for my stretching and meditation, and it just provides a stable and comforting platform for me to do that. I use the same one every day; it makes me happy.

So much of my sport is mental, and my performance is driven by my headspace. [I practice] meditation to calm my mind; refocusing and recentering for the training day is imperative. I spend 10 to 15 minutes each morning on breath work and mindful meditation.

Sleep is also huge in recharging the mindset. I don't get any less than seven hours a night, but I aim for at least eight. I love NOW’s Peaceful Sleep Essential Oil Blend. I use that along with my sleep sounds. And the last thing is my daily walks with [my dog] Rico; it’s what I look forward to every morning, especially the long ones on the trails.

I wish I could say that I'm totally off my phone before I go to bed, but I'm not. But I definitely turn off the blue light option on my phone. For me, winding down is really just about making sure that I am calm and relaxed. So I try not to work out too soon before bed; I always finish a workout hours before I actually wind down to go to sleep. Reading is a great option that I love to do; just reading anything will put me right to sleep. And I try to stay off the screens, and try not to do tv or the phone light. But obviously I'm not perfect.

I'm very cognizant of [nutrition and gut health]. A big part of my job, and my recovery to train well and to be fast and strong is to fuel my body properly. So I don't get really obsessive about exactly what I'm putting into my body. But I'm making sure that I'm getting the right mix of nutrients, specifically carbs and protein. One of the easiest ways to do that is to wake up in the morning [and] make a protein smoothie. I use the NOW Sports Chocolate Whey Protein. Then I might make another one before I go to bed just because I actually really like it.

For gut health, NOW has a L-Glutamine supplement that I'll also use to help strengthen the gut. And then the NOW’s Organic Chia Seeds. I just asked NOW for two boxes full of them—I love the chia seeds. They make me feel just so healthy and debloated. So I do that every morning just to help support digestion.

Think about wellness holistically and consider how we can thrive mentally, physically, and emotionally. As an elite sprinter, wellness encompasses all aspects of my performance: how I recover, how I fuel, how much I sleep, and how much I'm able to incorporate mindfulness and meditation into my day to day. It's just always about balancing being an athlete and also taking care of myself. How can I show up and perform at my best each day and just get a little bit better? Even if it's just like you made a good coffee that day and you're really excited about it, or if it's like you got an extra minute of meditation and got a little bit more mindful that day, a little goes a long way.