When you’re the first, the hope is that you’re not the last.
Before Erin Jackson became the first Black woman to win an individual Winter Olympic gold medal, there was Debi Thomas — the first Black woman to win a medal at the Winter Olympics, earning bronze in figure skating in 1988.
Then came Vonetta Flowers, who became the first Black athlete to win gold at the Winter Olympics as part of the U.S. two-woman bobsled team in 2002.
Now, there’s a growing list of names following in their footsteps — 2026 gold medalists Elana Meyers Taylor (monobob) Laila Edwards (ice hockey), both made history in their respective sports at this year's Games — each helping to reframe what’s possible for Black women in winter sports.
Together, they’ve brought a new level of visibility to a space that hasn’t always reflected them, opening doors and holding them open for the next generation.
While Jackson didn’t leave the 2026 Games with a medal, she accomplished something just as meaningful: her third Olympic appearance — and history, once again, as the first Black woman to serve as a flag bearer for Team USA.
It’s one thing to say medals aren’t everything — it’s another to live it. And what Jackson, along with those who came before her and those coming after, are doing is bigger than gold, silver, or bronze.
It’s about impact. Exposure. Possibility.
It’s about showing Black girls there is space for them — on the ice, on the podium, and anywhere their dreams take them.
It’s that ability to dream big and not let anything, including a lack of representation, stand in your way — that Jackson stands firm in. And for her, that message is clear.
“Don’t be afraid to try something new,” she told iHeartRadio in an exclusive interview. “I know that it really helps to see people like you achieving something, but also don’t be afraid to be the first.”
Read our full Q&A with Erin Jackson below.
Watching you compete in Milan was such a proud moment — I loved tuning into every race. When you think back on the Games, what moments will stay with you the longest?
One of them for sure was walking out with the flag in the opening ceremonies. It's just an amazing way to kick off the Games. And then being there with my teammates. For a lot of them, it was their first Olympics, so just being able to witness a lot of firsts for them was really awesome. I feel like the mom of the team, so it's really cool getting to witness these things with my teammates.
And then also getting to watch a lot of the other Olympic sports, especially with athletes from those sports, because they could share the details and the behind-the-scenes things and the scoring and all of that. So, yeah, I had a lot of really cool moments from the Games.
We’re chatting because of Hershey’s It’s Your Happy Place campaign. With the games now behind you, what was your happy place in Milan? What centered you while you were there?
My happy place was definitely with my teammates. Being on the speed skating team is basically a full-time job. We see each other all the time, so it's really lucky that we actually like each other, because we have to spend pretty much all of our time with each other. We really enjoy hanging out together.
We play a lot of card games and hang out together in our downtime. That was definitely my happy place: being with my team. We were all on the same floor of the Team USA building, so we got to see each other every day, just like usual.
Being the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal at the Winter Olympics is huge. You’ve said before you didn’t want to be the last — and this year, we saw Elana Meyers Taylor and Laila Edwards add to that legacy. What does it feel like to see that circle expanding?
It's amazing. I feel like the more people we have, the more exposure there is, and then the potential for getting more and more women — and just people of color in general — involved in winter sports. So getting the word out, it's amazing to see more and more people having success in winter sports.
You can’t talk about that progress without acknowledging the barriers many Black communities face when it comes to winter sports. You’ve spoken about wanting to create pathways for young athletes of color — what would meaningful change look like to you, and is that something you still see yourself building toward?
I'm not sure if I could have even continued in this sport if I wasn't fortunate enough to make that first Olympic team in 2018, because it's really expensive just being in speed skating to begin with, but also, you know, kind of uprooting my life and moving across the country.
So there are a lot of barriers to winter sports, and especially with speed skating. There are only two places to do it in the whole country for the programs that we have. So it's still very much one of my goals to help lower that barrier through a scholarship program to be able to fund some athletes to get a start in the sport and help them out as much as I can.
Switching gears a bit. You’ve said you can’t imagine stepping away from speed skating right now. As you look ahead, whether that’s 2030 or just the next chapter, what excites you most?
Yeah, I'm super excited about keeping the momentum going because I unfortunately didn't win a medal at these Olympics. But, the progress that I've made over the past few years with my skating technique — and there are a lot of really technical things that go into the sport — I've made a ton of progress over the past few years. I'm really looking forward to keeping that going and really being able to show that.
Is there anything you’d approach differently in your preparation for 2030 compared to previous cycles?
Well, the main thing would be I need to get surgery on my back, because I have a few disc herniations. So once I get that under control, then I can get back to the more traditional forms of training, because there are a lot of things that I just haven't been able to do over the past few years. So I'm really looking forward to training the way I need to — and being really protective of my back going forward.
One of my favorite parts of your story is your friendship with Brittany Bowe — it’s really special. With this being her final Olympics, were you able to fully take in that last run together? And what moments from Milan with her stand out most?
Yeah, there are a few of us here in the Netherlands for the final competition of the season, but because Brittany retired, she isn't here. So almost every day we're like, 'We miss Brittany. We wish Brittany was here.' It's definitely gonna be tough not having her going forward. But, she'll still be around. She'll still be in the Salt Lake area. It'll be nice to hang out with her and catch up.
We spent a lot of time together in Milan — going to hockey games, or going to the dining hall, or venturing off campus to go find some other meals out in Milan together. I feel like we do a lot of stuff together, and that won't change just because she's not on the team anymore.
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