When Erin Jackson Became an Olympic Speedskater, She Even Surprised Herself

Erin Jackson knew, after winning 500-m speedskating gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics—and becoming the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal at a Winter Olympics—she needed to capitalize on all the opportunities that came her way. They often dry up fast, even for athletes who ascend the podium. Speaking engagements, at companies and schools, delivered steady income. She flew with the Air Force Thunderbirds. “I was really just trying to take advantage of the moment,” says Jackson, 33, in a late-October conversation during the Team USA Media Summit in New York City.

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The most surreal experience: Jackson had snagged an invite to the Vanity Fair Oscar party the night that Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in front of nearly 17 million people on live TV. When Smith showed up to the Vanity Fair event after the ceremony, his bodyguard recognized Jackson and requested a photo with her. Jackson complied, then asked the bodyguard if he could fetch Smith for a shot with her. She’d been a longtime fan. 

As for the slap, “I really didn’t know what to think of it,” says Jackson. “I wasn’t going to bring it up. I just wanted a picture.” Mission accomplished. 

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Jackson has earned another shot at surprising celebrity encounters. Despite dealing with recent back and hamstring injuries, she qualified for the Milano Cortina Olympics, winning both the 500-m and 1,000-m races at the U.S. Olympic trials in January (Jackson had already qualified for the 500 m based on her strong showings in international competitions). In November, she set a new national record in the 500 m, finishing the race in 36.57 seconds—beating her own mark by .2 seconds; she’ll likely duel with Femke Kok of the Netherlands for gold in Milan. A host of big-name sponsors—Eli Lilly, Coca-Cola, and Comcast, among them—are supporting Jackson’s run to her third Olympics, given the historic success of her career, unique entrée into her sport, and promising post-Olympic prospects. 

Jackson grew up roller-skating in Ocala, Fla., at a rink called Skate Mania, a name that screams pizza parties, fruit punch, and first dates. Around age 10, she transitioned to inline skating and competed in that sport through college, winning a dozen world-championship medals and 47 national titles. The U.S. Olympic committee named Jackson athlete of the year, for roller sports, three times (2012, 2013, 2015). She graduated cum laude from the University of Florida, with a degree in materials science and engineering, in 2015. She even picked up roller derby, a rough-and-tumble game on wheels, during this time, suiting up for the Jacksonville RollerGirls. 

“Growing up, I was definitely more of a student than an athlete,” says Jackson. “I didn’t dream of being a star athlete. I didn’t dream of going to the Olympics. I just had all my sights set on school.”

Then, in late 2016, Jackson was hanging out with some friends in the Netherlands when she stepped on ice for the first time. The moment was captured on video: though she didn’t fall square on her backside, Jackson still looked like a beginner. “The blades felt super, super strange to me,” she says. “The people out in Salt Lake City with U.S. Speedskating, they saw that video, and they’re like, ‘This is terrible. Why don’t you come out and we can teach you how to do this?’” 

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She went to Utah in March 2017 for about a month to test her mettle on ice. She took to it enough that in the fall, she moved to Salt Lake City to train full-time. Jackson was concerned about relocating to an area with such a small (2% to 3%) Black population. But she knew enough people from her inline-skating days—including fellow Ocala natives Joey Mantia and Brittany Bowe—to feel welcome. She also enjoys the mountain views.

“One thing that is a little bit tricky about living in Salt Lake City is getting my hair done, because there aren’t a lot of people who can do my hair,” says Jackson. “But I have found one lady who’s been super helpful. I’m lucky to have someone.” 

It took her just four months to make her first Olympics. She surprised herself by qualifying for PyeongChang, in 2018. “I didn’t have any thoughts of making that team,” she says. “I hadn’t even told my dad I was going to the Olympic trials. He didn’t know anything about it until I called him to say, ‘So I’m going to the Olympics. You want to come?’”

At the 2022 trials, she was the favorite in the 500 m. But she slipped and finished third, keeping her off the team. Bowe, who won the 500-m race, pulled her to the side that day. “She just expressed how sorry she was for me, and she said if there was anything she could do to get me to the Olympics, she would do it,” says Jackson. Bowe, who still holds the world record in the 1,000 m and also qualified in the 1,500 m for Beijing, decided to give up her 500-m spot, assuring Jackson would race at the Olympics. “It was a super emotional moment,” says Jackson. “Because it’s hard to imagine someone making that sort of a sacrifice for you.” Jackson won gold in China, and Bowe took bronze in the 1,000 m. In Milan, they’ll both race the 1000 m. 

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While setting records on the ice, Jackson has continued her education. She got an associate’s degree in computer science from Salt Lake Community College and is also pursuing degrees in business and kinesiology from the school. Combining these passions with her engineering degree from Florida, Jackson hopes to enter the biomechanics field. Her relationships with Paralympic athletes have ignited an interest in prosthetics. “I feel like with technology, there’s so much more we can do to kind of help them feel more comfortable and more powerful in their sports,” says Jackson. “I would love to be a part of that journey.”

For the time being, she’s focused on her own. “There’s just a lot more pressure coming in as the reigning champion,” says Jackson. “But pressure is what I need. It’s what I love. I hope people expect another gold medal from me. I need that pressure to push me higher.”