Erin Jackson competes in the Ladies 1000 meter event during the U.S. Speed Skating Long Track Olympic Trials at the Pettit National Ice Center on January 3, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Stacy Revere/Getty Images
She’s going for the gold! Erin Jackson is gearing up to compete on Team USA’s Olympic long track speed skating team in PyeongChang, South Korea, next month.
The accomplished athlete, 25, hails from Florida and has been skating since childhood. Scroll down to find out more about Jackson ahead of her Olympic journey!
Erin Jackson competes in the Ladies 500 meter event during the Long Track Speed Skating Olympic Trials at the Pettit National Ice Center on January 5, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Stacy Revere/Getty Images
1. She Sets Records Jackson is the first African-American to have made the long track speed skating team.
2. She’s a Fast Learner She may be a newbie, but she’s already a natural! Jackson made the Olympic team only four months into her speed skating career. “It’s crazy, like this was always a longterm goal of mine,” she said during her visit to The Jim Rome Show on January 9. “I was coming into the Olympic trails this year just hoping to get some experience and kind of see where I am after this time I’ve had on the ice, and I was always planning to stick around for the next cycle. So it was definitely a goal of mine to be on Team USA, I just didn’t see it happening this quickly.”
3. She Has a Theme Song Jackson always strives to keep a positive mentality. In fact, she told the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association in March 2016 that the song she lives her life by is Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”
4. She’s an Academic School has always been a priority for Jackson, who earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida in 2015. She also has plans to return to school in the near future to earn her Master’s Degree!
Erin Jackson stands on the podium following the Ladies 500 meter event during the Long Track Speed Skating Olympic Trials at the Pettit National Ice Center on January 5, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Stacy Revere/Getty Images
5. She Puts Family First Jackson recently kickstarted a campaign to fund her father’s trip to PyeongChang to see her compete! Click here to buy one of Jackson’s stylish shirts and support the cause.
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