Gabby Scott, a Puerto Rican Olympian and a three-time national champion along with the country’s record holder in the women’s 400 meters at 50.97 seconds, joins DyeStat’s Erik Boal to discuss making her Olympic debut Aug. 5 in Paris. Scott, 27, was also an All-American at Colorado and has qualified for the past two World Athletics Championships, reaching the 400 semifinals in both years. She reflects on watching Jasmine Camacho-Quinn win the 100-meter hurdles gold medal in 2021 in Tokyo, becoming the first Puerto Rican track and field competitor to capture an Olympic title in any event and just the second athlete in the country’s history to become an Olympic champion in any sport following Monica Puig in tennis in 2016, and how that inspired Scott and has continued to motivate her and the entire nation to have more representation in Paris and at future global events. Scott examines her preparation this season in comparison to her training ahead of competing at the World Championships last year in Hungary and in 2022 in Oregon, and how reassuring it has been to run three of the five fastest times in her career, including another sub-51 performance in May in Brazil. She also explains how beneficial it has been to have the experience of running multiple rounds at past global championship events, and how much Scott has learned in her quest to advance to the Aug. 9 final in Paris. Scott speaks about the potential for Puerto Rico to showcase a mixed 4x400-meter relay at future World Championships or Olympics, especially with decathlete Ayden Owens-Delerme as a possible contributor to the lineup. She revisits attending previous meets in France, including competing in May in Marseille, and how much Scott is looking forward to not only racing in Paris, but enjoying the cultural experiences connected with the Olympics as well. Scott shares her decision to be baptized on Easter Sunday in March and how faith has continued to play a significant role throughout her athletic career. She also discusses her new role as podcast host for Tough Cookie Convos, in addition to her contributions as a Certified Natural Hair Care Consultant for Curl Care Club, and how much she is embracing the fashion and style of the Puerto Rican national team gear during her first Olympic experience. Scott is the fifth Puerto Rican female athlete to compete in the 400 in Olympic history, including the first to qualify since 2012.