How do you outrun a diagnosis? How do you defy a body that threatens to slow you down? History is filled with athletes who have shattered the limits placed on them—Wilma Rudolph was told she might never walk but she became one of the fastest women alive. Greg Louganis, bullied and battling dyslexia, soared to perfection off the diving board. Gary Hall Jr., fighting Type 1 diabetes, still touched the pool’s wall first for Olympic gold. Now, there’s a new name on that list!

Georgia Bulldog’s Kaila Jackson shocked the track and field community by clinching the SEC women’s 60m championship in 7.12 seconds, beating LSU’s Brianna Lyston in an exciting race. The two-time NCAA runner-up in this event finally secured the top spot, edging out LSU junior Brianna Lyston by just one-hundredth of a second. Tennessee senior Layla Anderson rounded out the podium with a third-place finish at 7.18 seconds!

Kaila Jackson’s path to SEC success wasn’t about being fast—it showed her toughness. Doctors found she had Type 1 diabetes when she was in eighth grade, and she thought her time on the track might be done.”I really thought I wasn’t going to be able to do track anymore,” Jackson said to the Red & Black in 2023. “Getting over that was hard at first, but now I can do many different things like class and sports normally.

You know what? This kind of success isn’t new for the 20-year-old, who ensured her name stood out from the start. In just her first few races as a freshman for Georgia in 2023, she was already shaking up the collegiate track scene. Kaila Jackson didn’t just win—she made history, breaking the school record in the 60-meter dash with a blazing 7.16 seconds. That time? It made her the sixth-fastest woman in the NCAA. Pretty wild for a freshman, right?

Well, these achievements aren’t the only things Kaila has been up to. She’s been on a roll since debuting for Georgia in 2023, proving that her talent isn’t just a flash in the pan but is here to stay!

A Dominant Start to Kaila Jackson’s Collegiate Career

Kaila Jackson arrived at the University of Georgia with a reputation that spoke for itself. A five-time Michigan high school state champion, and a Gatorade Player of the Year! But Collegiate programs can get difficult. But Jackson has taken it like fish to water.

But success hasn’t come easy. Moving miles away from home (Michigan), adjusting to college life, and managing her diabetes have all been challenges she’s tackled head-on. Through it all, her mindset remains unshaken. “My favorite part is the competition with my teammates and from all the other schools because it is good to have people that will push me to that next level,” Jackson said.

And push, she has! Jackson’s first year at Georgia was a statement. The freshman sprinter has been turning heads with her blistering times, earning SEC Track and Field Women’s Freshman of the Week honors not once but twice during her 2023 season. And wait! Her 200-meter time of 23.25 seconds didn’t just put her in the national rankings(25). It also secured her a 5th spot among Georgia’s all-time top sprinters.

Kaila Jackson shined in 2024, proving that her breakthrough season was no fluke. When she lined up at the NCAA Indoor Championships! She did what people dream of in their second year at the collegiate level. She clinched silver in the 60m (7.08) and also took bronze in the 60m at the SEC Championships, proving her dominance with First Team All-American honors.

Off the track, Jackson has shown herself to be just as impressive. CSC Academic All-American with a 3.70 GPA in 2023, she’s proving excellence isn’t limited to the athletic field. Georgia head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert knows exactly what she has in Jackson: the foundation for something special. “She is the beginning…..She is going to be one of them that will set the bar to what we want,” Smith Gilbert said.

Jackson’s goals? Simple but big: “My overall goal is to keep improving on the track as well as in my academics and to stay happy and have fun.” With what she’s already done, it’s obvious—Kaila Jackson isn’t just here to run but so much more.