Erin Jackson, who has made history and is continuing to blaze a trail in speed skating, said, “It was tough coming from the top of one sport to the bottom of another.”
Jackson, lovingly called EJ by friends, family and teammates, went from a top-rated inline skater, to the bottom; starting over with a new sport. Through hard work and determination, she is now headed to the Olympics for a chance to bring home the gold.
Her mother was a roller skater so she got her start when her mother got her some roller skates that attached to her shoes, and she practiced skating in the driveway. Around 10 years old she got into artistic skating. Even then she found joy in “zipping around the rink.”
“I just always wanted to go fast.” Jackson explained.
As an inline skater she used to get told that “maybe I’ll see you in the Olympics.” To which Jackson would reply, “No, I’m an inline skater. Inline is not an Olympic sport.”
Then, as luck would have it, a talent scout from US Speed skating came to the Inline World Team trials and let her know if she was interested to give him a call. Jackson, up for the challenge, decided to give the sport a try. Switching from rink to ice was no easy feat. Her first steps on the ice were similar to Bambi trying to walk. It required her to start over, but she was determined.
She recalls being the newest and the slowest person on the team.
“You gotta remember she came over to the ice in around January/February of 2017. It was probably about 5, maybe 6 months of ice time going into the Olympic trials.” Jackson’s coach Ryan Shimarukuro Coach explained.
It was a long shot but as her coach Shimarukuro explained, “She’s a game day racer.”
He went on to say, “The minute she toes the line, it’s like she’s a different person.”
Jackson said, “I didn’t even tell my Dad that I was going to the Olympic Trials, because for me it was just like a race, you know? I was just going there to race, and other people were going there to make the Olympic team.”
After winning her race, Jackson made history by becoming the first black woman to qualify for a United States Olympic Long track speed skating spot.
Her very first international speed skating competition just so happened to be the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. Her goal was a to get a personal best time, and though it did not work out that way, what a debut she had. She went into the Olympics with a 30th ranking in a pool of 31 people and left with a 24th ranking.
“Visibility is really important. It’s just helpful to see someone like you doing something because then it’s like, ‘Oh! Maybe I can do this too!’
“I wish we were at a time where it wasn’t a milestone…I’m just happy to be one of those faces out there that can hopefully encourage people to try a new sport.”
“I guess I still feel like a newbie,” Jackson said. “I still have so much to learn. I still feel like I’ve got a lot to work on, a lot to do.”
At this year’s World Cup Trials, which were at the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Cauldron Park, Jackson came in first place in the Women’s 500m Finals with a time of 37.08, a new personal best.
“My goal for Beijing would be two gold medals. Other than that, I’ll be doing my best and happy to be there representing USA.”
The 29-year-old athlete was highly favored to win the Olympic Trial Event in Milwaukee earlier this month. Unfortunately, she slipped during her race and ended up finishing third.
In an incredible show of sportsmanship and friendship, Jackson’s teammate Brittany Bowe, gave up her 500m qualification berth and spot to Jackson.
“In my heart, there was never a question that I would do whatever it took – if it came down to me – to get Erin to skate at the Olympics.” Bowe said. “Hopefully we get three spots when we get to the Olympics, but as of now, it seems that the only way Erin will get to compete in the Olympics is if one of us gives up that spot,” 33-year-old Bowe said, in the hope that there will be a reallocation of berths from other nations later allowing them both to take part in the 500m.
Jackson described herself as “beyond grateful and humbled” by Bowe’s action.
“I was kind of given this gift from a very close friend of mine,” said former inline skater Jackson. “And it would be awesome for both of us to be able to stand on the top of the podium in our races and just kind of share that moment.”
This will be Jackson’s second Olympic appearance at this 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
February 4, 2022, marks the opening ceremony for the 2022 Beijing Olympics.