By ABC7 Staff
Gold medalist Erin Jackson (ABC7)
Erin Jackson made history on Sunday. She became the first black woman to win a
speedskating medal at the Winter Olympics.
Jackson, 29, originally hails
from Ocala, Florida and for years, she has been commuting to Palmetto, Florida
to train to get where she is today.
Now, not only is Jackson an
Olympian for Team USA speedskating, but she’s a gold medalist!
Jackson has had help along the
way. Her mentor and coach Debbie Rice has been behind her the whole time,
cheering her on before and during this big win.
But, Jackson’s path to gold
almost didn’t happen. That’s because during the Team USA trials, she slipped
and ended up finishing third.
Jackson’s teammate had better
success in the trials, she finished first. Bowe, who is also from Ocala, wanted
to give Jackson a chance to compete in Beijing, so she gave her the spot on the
team.
Thankfully, when it was time
for the Olympics to begin, Team USA received a third slot in the 500-meter
race, and Bowe got to skate all along. Bowe ended up finishing 16th in the
race.
Jackson and Bowe will never
forget Sunday, competing as friends and both having great success.
Jackson attended undergrad at the University of Florida. She is now working on her Master’s degree and is living in Salt Lake City, Utah.
https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/02/15/ocala-speedskater-makes-history-wins-gold-500/
