Ocala native Erin Jackson will compete for a second speed skating gold medal in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
When she won her first gold medal in the 2022 Winter Olympics, Jackson became the first Black woman to do so in the history of the sport. The achievement was the result of countless hours of training, intense focus and the support of her loved ones back home.
Among Jackson’s loved ones are her aunts Cathy Daniels and Jacqueline Walker, who are some of the Olympic gold medalist’s biggest supporters.
“I’m so proud,” Walker said. “Whatever she does, she gives it her all.”
“Whether she wins, loses or draws, we’re always proud of her,” Daniels said.
Jackson said she didn’t begin ice skating until when she was 24 years old. She began competing internationally just one year afterward.
She hopes her story will inspire people to embrace new endeavors.
“Don’t be afraid to try something new,” she said, “especially something that you’ve been really curious about or something that you have a goal of trying.”
The U.S. Olympic team designated Jackson as one of its two flag bearers for the 2026 Winter Olympics, marking Jackson’s first time receiving the honor.
She’ll compete Monday in the women’s 1000 meter race and Feb. 15 in the women’s 500 meter race, the event in which she won a gold medal four years ago.
Below: Reporter Bernardo Montás speaks with Erin Jackson at length about her attitude heading into the 2026 Winter Olympics, what principles guide her mentality in training and why she feels inline speed skating should be in the Winter Olympics.