Shericka sits perfectly with Eureka, and her global fans wouldn’t deny this truth a single bit. In the track and field realm, several intergenerational athletes emerged in the competitive year of 2023. But for the top-tier track athletes, the 2023 World Athletics Championships was a one-of-a-kind event. Shattering records and setting the internet ablaze with her heart-pounding feats, there stands the Jamaican Shericka Jackson. But her story isn’t all glittery.

Specializing in 100m and 200m, the 29-year-old sprinter has proven herself worthy of the crown. Currently, she stands with the title of the fastest woman alive in the 200m category. Moreover, she’s also the 10th fastest in the 100m as per recent statistics. But the event that declared her as one of the most decorated almost had her in ruins.

Shericka Jackson struggled with the news of ailing father

Jamaica’s half-lap queen engaged in a candid conversation with YouTuber Kareem recently. In the podcast dedicated to the iconic phenoms’ inspiring journeys, Bwoyatingz by Kareem invited Jackson in their special episode of Season 8. While she’s a woman who’s never let any opinion bother her, news from her family had shaken her during the Championships last year. While she was on her run to claim the 200m gold, she has ‘been through so much during that World Championship.” She further said, “At that time, I almost lose my daddy… all the emotions were bottling up. When I saw my father, I broke down in tears.” Receiving a video from the family took over the 29-year-old’s running enthusiasm. “His legs were over his shoulders,” was what got her teary-eyed.

The 4x World Championships gold medalist sports a better relationship with her close ones now. But tracing back to her childhood days, the Jamaican blitz didn’t have anything easy. To encapsulate, she never had a scope to be a child in the truest sense.

Jackson’s early year struggles

In another podcast, the Olympian opened up to the Jamaican broadcaster Simone Clarke about her girlhood challenges. Since most of her early years involved migrating from one place to another, she floundered about maintaining lasting relationships. Therefore, a wall came up out of nowhere. Shedding light, she said, “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.”

READ MORE: 8 Years After Struggling to Achieve Her Biggest Dream, Track and Field Queen Shericka Jackson Reflects on 2023

Though she channels the anger of her hard childhood to smash records, growing up without a lot of love doesn’t justify it. “It plays out good sometimes and bad.” Her displays throughout her illustrious career stand as a testament to her indomitable spirit. Nothing can or will dim her confidence on the track.

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