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Shericka Jackson revealed her childhood struggles, including emotional walls built from instability, shaping her aggressive nature on and off the track.
Over the years, Jamaica has produced a wealth of athletic talent, and among its brightest stars is Shericka Jackson.
A two-time 200m World Champion and one of the most dominant sprinters on the planet, Jackson’s rise to the top of the track and field world has been nothing short of extraordinary.
However, in a candid interview with Jamaican broadcaster Simone Clarke, Jackson opened up about the challenges she faced in her early life and how they have shaped her personality, both on and off the track.
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Jackson, who has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the world of athletics, spoke vulnerably about the emotional walls she built as a child.
Born in Saint Ann Parish, Jackson's childhood was defined by frequent moves that left her feeling unsettled and without a sense of permanence.
"I am a person who always had this wall up. Normally I am comfortable on the track, and I don’t get that nervous but today I am nervous," Jackson revealed on the Sim Soul Sessions podcast in January as per Olympics.com
"I had this wall up from when I was a child, I think it is kind of hard, I got a bit of help, so the wall is coming down a little bit, but it is still there. I never grew up with a lot of love, so therefore I don't know how to show love."
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Jackson explained that her frequent relocations prevented her from forming long-lasting bonds and left her with a sense of emotional isolation.
The lack of stability in her upbringing created an environment where trust and emotional connections were difficult to foster, leaving Jackson with a hardened exterior.
“I felt like I never had enough to be a child, I felt like I was older than a child moving around, being here for a little while, there for a little while. So, I believe that’s one of the reasons I’m very aggressive even today,” she admitted.
The aggression she refers to is something that has been both a challenge and a strength in her life.
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On the track, her fierce determination and drive have propelled her to the highest levels of success.
Jackson’s aggressive approach has been a key factor in her two World Championship titles in the 200m and her silver medal in the 100m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
But she acknowledges that this aggression, shaped by her childhood struggles, also has its drawbacks in her personal life.
“It plays out good sometimes and bad. If you see me and don’t know me personally you would not want to approach me. It is good, and it is bad but now I’m in a better space where I’m not so aggressive. I can be but I think I’m a better grown-up now,” she said, reflecting on how she has grown emotionally and mentally over the years.
In 2023, where she narrowly missed breaking Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 200m world record with a time of 21.41 seconds, Jackson is aware of the personal growth she has undergone both inside and outside of competition.
Her success on the track is a reflection of her unrelenting drive, but her openness about her struggles gives her victory an even deeper meaning.
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