asked for advice from her social media followers after she says a group of men have been stalking her at airports in multiple cities.
Thomas, a five-time Olympic medalist, that a group of men have appeared at airports across the country while she’s traveling, harassing her and asking her to sign a stack of pictures. She believes the men are resellers but alleges they have been “aggressive and hostile” when she rejects them.
“It doesn’t matter what city,” Thomas said. “They’ve come when I was traveling to and from Chicago, they’ve come when I’m traveling to and from Miami. And they have my flight information.”
The men, about three to six of them, have shown up at the airport door, she said. But, Thomas said, they have also approached her at her concourse or gate, meaning they appear to have to have a flight ticket and go through airport security.
She says the encounters are particularly frightening when she’s traveling alone. The fact that they seem to know exactly where and when she is traveling, Thomas said, is “freaking” her out.
“What scares me is that they have my flight information even when I don’t even know what time I’m flying out sometimes — I don’t tell anyone my flight information,” Thomas said.
Last year in Paris, and brought home three gold medals. It was a redemption from her second and third place finishes at the Tokyo Games a few years prior.
Many found Thomas to be an inspiration as she trained for the global competition in between taking neurobiology courses at Harvard University and volunteer in Austin, Texas.
Now, Thomas is turning to the more than 260,000 followers for guidance to help her feel safe again while traveling.
“I don’t know what to do,” Thomas said. “Any advice is welcome.”
Commenters expressed sympathy and acknowledged the situation is alarming. Fellow Olympian Ilona Maher wrote that it was “so scary.”
“These guys are done,” Thomas said in a reply to Maher. “Once I figure this out they won’t be harassing anyone else.”
Tennis player Coco Gauff said she has had the same experience.
“This happens to me too, I don’t know how it happens,” Gauff wrote. “My theory is maybe someone at the airport tips them off.”
Others offered advice including to contact the FBI and to check her accounts for any connected apps that the men could be accessing.
One commenter suggested she make a report to her local police and to airport security to start a record of the encounters. Another said Thomas should see if recording the men would scare them off.
She shared a video in reply of two men at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. In the video she narrates that the men were “stalking” her. One man pulls a hood over his face and walks away as she records.
“I took this video once when they were following me past TSA,” Thomas wrote. “I’ll see who I can report it to. I’ll continue to take pictures and video. It scared them away.”
