Get used to hearing the name Erin Jackson, because she is going to be carving up the speedskating track on the ice as a critical member of Team USA for years to come. The inspirational story of her journey to the Olympics has been nothing short of breathtaking and is one that will be etched into the memory of America for generations to come.
In competitive sports, there are athletes that can compete at a high level in their specific niche, and there are those who are able to adapt to change in almost superhuman ways. Erin Jackson represents the latter of the group and is a protege in the truest sense of the word.
Totally new territory
The 25-year-old Florida Native has been a competitive roller skater since 2008 and has represented Team USA as such in the years 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014, according to teamusa.org. But Speed Skating? That was a completely different type of competition.
It's time to head home from an awesome weekend of #WFTDAChamps and @USARollerDerby practice in beautiful Portland, Oregon! I love my teams! pic.twitter.com/Xqfq1q6h4c
— Erin Jackson (@ErinJackson480) November 8, 2016
“I was pretty scared of crashing,” she recently said referring to the transition, per Gary D' Amato of Journal Sentinal. “It was totally foreign. It’s a completely different feeling from being on inlines, and it was just kind of hard for me to wrap my head around that because I’ve been skating my whole life.”
Focus and determination
But instead of letting her fears consume her, she dug down and got to work.
Soon, she would begin to turn heads as her raw power, natural abilities, and hard work started to pay off to the tune of dropping one second from her time every week per NBC.
The sad truth, though, was that in spite of her rapid learning, qualifying for the Olympic team as a transitioning athlete was a far cry... nearly out of reach for her considering the fact that she had only been training in speedskating for a total of four months prior to the trials.
How was she supposed to compete against, let alone challenge, some of the fastest and most experienced skaters in the world after such a short amount of time?
Instead of letting the moment consume her - she seized it
There were so many doubts, questions, and details she could have let consume her in the days leading up to the trials, but none of that mattered when she arrived at the facility- it was go-time.
When her turn came to compete, she walked to her position on the inside track next to her opponent, locked her eyes ahead, and began to control her breathing as the room grew tense. And when the gun sounded, she unleashed every bit of fire within her being, exploding out in front... and there was no stopping her after that.
Her time is now
Jackson would record a personal best time of 39.043, locking herself in as the final member of the team.
The sky is the limit for Erin Jackson. There are still relatively low expectations for her going into these Olympic games due to her inexperience, but one thing's for sure - she doesn't care about that and will continue to shred the status quo with the blades of her skates for as long as she competes.
Let's go USA!
#PyeongChang2018
History in Milwaukee! Erin Jackson has become the first African-American female long track Olympic speedskater! #WinterOlympics #BestOfUS pic.twitter.com/ngt0aSes5l
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) January 6, 2018