Thea Lafond returns to her alma mater, University of Maryland as Grand Marshall

The first-ever Olympic Gold medallist and pride of Dominica, Thea Lafond served as the Grand Marshall at her alma mater, University of Maryland, US. She was honoured in a special ceremony on Friday night for her historic achievement at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

A 30-year-old alumna of the university captured gold in the women’s triple jump, making her the first Dominican athlete and Maryland alum to reach the top of the Olympic podium. She was celebrated during the university’s football game against Northwestern at SECU Stadium and acknowledged for bringing Olympic gold back to the Maryland roots.

The students were given an opportunity to get an autograph from her and enjoy a free scoop of the limited-edition Maryland Dairy ice cream flavour she selected i.e. vanilla with cookie dough and Oreo pieces, chocolate fudge swirl and a splash of rum.

Thea Lafond Gadson, the Olympic medallist and the Golden Girl of Dominica shared her glimpses from the University, flaunting her Gold Medal and stated “Proud to be Grand Marshall for this year’s homecoming.”

While shedding light on serving as a grand marshal, Thea Lafond stated that it is truly a milestone for her to be back at her college and have the opportunity to serve in this role.

She also described this year to have been one of the most memorable one, which gave a new turn to the athlete’s personal career and accomplishments, making her the first-ever of the respective field to have won an Olympic medal for Dominica.

She also shared her experience and stated that it is always overwhelming and a time of joy and happiness to be back at her campus. “It is truly special.”

Notably, Thea Lafond who was born in Dominica, moved to Maryland at the age of 7, where she earned multiple All-American honours in her collegiate career. In fact, she was also named the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year in 2015.

Moreover, it is not only Thea Lafond Gadson who was served as the Grand Marshall but also the basketball player from USA, Alyssa Thomas who helped her team in reaching the top of the podium for the eighth straight time.

Both these athletes became the 10th and 11th gold medalists in UMD history to won gold in the same Olympics, becoming one of the most distinguished honorary positions at Maryland.