Gabby Thomas can count on a large support team behind her during the Olympic Games in Paris.
The American sprinter, who is gunning for gold after winning silver and bronze at the Tokyo Games, will be cheered on from the stands by her boyfriend Spencer McManes.
Although the couple have been in a relationship for almost two years, McManes is not a public figure and keeps their relationship relatively secret.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about her boyfriend, a former athlete, Ivy League graduate, and entrepreneur.
Gabby Thomas has the support of her boyfriend Spencer McManes and his family in Paris
The couple have been dating for almost two years, but have kept their romance a secret
He played football at Yale
Like Thomas, McManes has an athletic background.
He attended Yale University, where he was quarterback for the Bulldogs his freshman year.
He remained with the team from 2013 to 2016, before graduating in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and government.
His player bio states that he “enjoys fishing, country music and sports.”
They are both from Georgia
Thomas and McManes both grew up in Georgia.
The Olympic athlete is originally from Atlanta, but her family moved to Massachusetts in 2007.
She remained in the state to attend Harvard University, after which she moved to Texas to continue her athletic training and earn her master’s degree.
McManes grew up in Roswell, Georgia, with his three siblings: Carter, Mackie, and Livvie.
He attended Blessed Trinity Catholic High School, where he set several football records, including most single-game passing yards, career passing yards and career passing touchdowns.
Like Thomas, McManes has an athletic background, having played football at Yale
He will be cheering on Thomas, who is gunning for gold after winning silver and bronze at Tokyo 2021
He launched a non-alcoholic kava seltzer brand
After graduating from college in Connecticut, McManes moved to Virginia, where he went to work for the McChrystal Group.
He later moved to Texas and joined the company People.ai. In August 2023, he joined DataGrail as Senior Customer Success Manager.
While working in the corporate world, he also launched a non-alcoholic kava seltzer brand called Kaviva.
According to the company, the product is “a kava-based sparkling water, with enough kava in one can to create a tingling sensation in the mouth and a euphoric buzz.” It is also “available in fruit flavors,” is “hangover-free and athlete-approved.”
They have been dating since October 2022
While it’s unclear how the couple met, they started dating in late 2022, when they both lived in Austin, Texas.
Thomas moved to the Lone Star State to be coached by Tonja Buford-Bailey and to earn her master’s degree in epidemiology from the University of Texas Health Science Center.
The sprinter is said to be a frequent presence on the entrepreneur’s Instagram page, but he made his social media accounts private ahead of the Paris Olympics.
While it’s unclear how the couple met, they started dating when they were both living in Austin, Texas.
Thomas was named to Team USA after winning the 200m event at the U.S. Track Trials
His family is one of Thomas’ biggest supporters
The McManes siblings, along with his parents Skip and Lori McManes, are among Thomas’ biggest fans.
According to photos Spencer’s mother posted online, the entire family is in Paris to cheer her on.
She shared a series of photos from the Olympic qualifying matches earlier this year, showing the family wearing shirts with Thomas’ name.
“We are SO PROUD to be on TEAM GABBY,” she wrote.
“That win yesterday was tough! Incredible talent on the line. We are so excited that Gabby will be representing our great country on Team USA. I can’t wait to cheer her on IN PARIS!! Love you, sweet Gabby,” she added.