OCALA, Fla. – A Marion County high school is honoring one of their own after a member of its alma mater won gold in the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Erin Jackson, who just became the first Black woman to win gold for speedskating at this year’s Olympics, was well-known for her character and leadership long before she made history.
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“When I look at Erin, I think of someone who has this natural talent, but has worked to push herself there,” said John Crawford, who at one point taught Jackson.
Her victory is now being celebrated at her Ocala alma mater, Forest High School.
“I mean it’s terrific,” said Marcia Flaig, who also taught Jackson. “I can’t think of anyone more deserving.”
Back in 2011, out of a class of 500, Jackson was voted as one of the top five of outstanding students.
Teachers say Jackson took multiple advanced placement courses, participated in track and field and embraced leadership opportunities in programs, like the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute of Technology.
EMIT is a magnet program created to groom future engineers.
It’s led by Raymond James, who coached Jackson in track and field. James said Jackson was a student before an athlete.
“She was definitely an overachiever,” James said. “And when she set a goal, she always achieved it.”
Flaig said that although Jackson was a student athlete, Jackson never allowed her participation in sports to deter her from her work. She never made any excuses, according to Flaig.
“She wanted the work before she left. She’d come back (and) everything was done. She slipped right into it, and then she might be gone again, but never did that trip her up for her education... I think Erin’s passion after skating is being a student,” Flaig said.
Her dreams are even documented in the school’s 2011 yearbook, before all her subsequent accomplishments.
“She plans on majoring in materials engineering and to continue online speedskating and possibly pursue her Olympic dreams in ice speed skating,” the yearbook reads.
That dream came true in Beijing.
Her teachers told News 6 they remember the exact moment when her victory on the ice became historic.
“I could just see her shaking and she even had to sit down,” Flaig said. “And then seeing the award ceremony, and even when they were talking about the silver medalist, she’s already crying.”
Crawford remembers Jackson saying she wished she hadn’t been the first Black woman to earn gold.
“But you know, like she wishes that others had come before her, but she is thrust into that position of leadership now and she will do amazing thing with it,” Crawford said.
James hopes Jackson’s story will inspire future generations.
“She was able to do multiple things and still able to perform in that class so when you saying that, ‘Oh, I can’t do it,’ you can do it. You just got to push yourself... look at what happens when you push yourself hard... you become an Olympian,” James said.
The school is currently waiting on Jackson to return stateside.
Once she is back, the city and the school will both be working to make sure she knows how proud she has made her hometown.