Who says you can’t be an Olympian in a matter of months?
Last Friday, Erin Jackson became the first black woman to qualify for the U.S. long-track speed skating team when she placed third in the 500-meter race behind Brittany Bowe and Heather Bergsma at the trials in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Despite the Florida-native’s success, Jackson has only competed in the sport for FOUR MONTHS!
To be fair, the 25-year-old is no novice. According to TeamUSA.org, she has been an “inline speed skater for 15 years,” and was also a jammer in roller derby.
Even after securing a spot on the U.S. team, Jackson still considers herself a “newbie” who “wasn’t expecting” to do so well. She confessed:
- “I surprised myself a lot. I really wasn’t expecting any of this. Just coming in as a newbie trying to do the best that I can. I still don’t even know.”
Recently, Maame Biney became the first African-American woman to qualify for the country’s short-track speed skating team.
In February, the 2018 Winter Olympics will take place in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
[Image via Erin Jackson/Instagram.]
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