Erin Jackson is officially set to begin her quest to add another medal to her collection as she heads into her third Winter Olympic Games, lining up for the women’s 1,000 meters at 11:30 a.m. ET on Monday, Feb. 9, at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium. She’ll skate alongside fellow American Brittany Bowe, not just as teammates but also as competitors, for a spot on the podium for Team USA.

Even with injuries both before the season and midway through it, Jackson still managed to medal at two World Cup races, showing she hasn’t lost her edge. But beyond the competition itself, there’s also growing curiosity about her personal story: her background, roots, and the journey that shaped her into the athlete she is today.

Where is Erin Jackson from & what is her nationality?

Born on Sept. 19, 1992, and raised in Ocala, Florida, Erin Jackson grew up with the steady support of her parents, Tracy and Rita Jackson. Long before she became an Olympic gold medalist, she built her name as an elite inline speed skater and roller derby player. Today, she’s best known for proudly representing the United States and winning gold in the women’s 500 meters at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Her journey started early. Jackson first laced up skates at just 10 years old, and from there, things moved fast. She eventually qualified for The World Games 2017 in Wrocław, Poland, competing in inline speed skating across multiple road and track distances. After 15 years in the sport, she made the switch to speed skating, but not before racking up an impressive résumé that included 12 world championship medals and 47 national titles.

Off the track, Erin Jackson has always been just as driven. She attended Shores Christian Academy, then Howard Middle School, and later Forest High School, where she was part of the Engineering and Manufacturing Institute of Technology magnet program. She continued that focus at the University of Florida, graduating with honors in Materials Science & Engineering. And in 2023, she showed her toughness differently, competing on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, season 2, where she became the only woman to win.

What is Erin Jackson’s ethnicity?

Erin Jackson has carved out a place in history as a Black American athlete, becoming the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal in any sport at the Winter Olympics.

Her Olympic journey began back in 2018, when she qualified for the 500-meter long track event at the Winter Games in PyeongChang. But it was on February 13, 2022, in Beijing, where everything came together. Jackson blazed through the women’s 500m final in 37.04 seconds, edging out the field by a razor-thin 0.08 seconds. With that win, she became the first individual gold medalist for the United States in long track speed skating since Shani Davis in 2010.

And the history didn’t stop there. No American woman had taken gold in the sport since Chris Witty in 2002, and Jackson became the first Team USA woman to win the 500m since Bonnie Blair’s dominant run from 1988 to 1994. She also became the first Black woman to win an individual Olympic gold at the Winter Games, following Debi Thomas’ bronze in 1988 and Vonetta Flowers’ team gold in 2002. On top of that, she was the first American to reach the 500m Olympic podium since Joey Cheek’s gold in 2006, and the first U.S. skater to claim individual gold in any speed skating event since 2010.

“Hopefully it has an effect,” Erin Jackson said after her historic feat, further adding, “and we can see more minorities, especially in the USA, getting out and trying some of these winter sports. And I just always hope to be a good example, especially with helping kids see they don’t have to just choose one between schools and sports.”

What is Erin Jackson’s religion?

When it comes to her personal life, though, she tends to keep things private. Public details about her faith are limited, especially compared to some athletes who openly talk about religion in interviews.

She did attend Shores Christian Academy in Ocala, Florida, which points to a Christian educational background, but that doesn’t necessarily confirm her personal beliefs. Jackson hasn’t spoken much about it publicly, and even on her Instagram, where she has an active following of 135K, the 33-year-old hasn’t shared anything specific about her religion. For the most part, she seems to prefer letting her skating do the talking.

Regardless, her focus on the ice hasn’t wavered. If she makes the U.S. Olympic roster for the 2026 Games, Erin Jackson will once again be a serious medal contender. Since her historic win in Beijing, she’s stayed dominant in the 500m, capturing back-to-back titles at the 2024 and 2025 Four Continents Championships.

Even while dealing with a medical issue that affected her energy, she still powered through to become the overall World Cup champion in 2024-25, a title she had already claimed the year before. So, do you think Erin Jackson has what it takes to bring home another gold medal this time around?