Emily Jackson was born to be a kayaker.
The 29-year-old daughter of Olympic kayaker Eric Jackson grew up on the water.
Shes been kayaking for as long as she can remember, has been on theU.S.
Emily Jackson competing at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials for Whitewater Slalom
Oh, and she has two small children, six and two, one of whom she homeschools.
Full-time kayaking, she explains, requires a nomadic lifestyle.
We pack it up in March and then we dont come home usually until the end of October.
Jackson mid-flip in the freestyle competition at 2019 GoPro Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado
Im hoping we can do the drive pretty quickly, which you never know with kids.
I may not have the time to pack properly.
Obviously Jackson has a packed schedule, and she likes it that way.
You never know what door will lead to another one, thats definitely the way I roll.
I always give a shot to say yes.
So how does she do it?
The biggest thing is that Jackson doesnt hold herself to a lofty standard of giving 100 percent at everything.
Because the truth is its just not possible.
Instead she says she strives for 80 percent in everything she does.
As much as you love it, it hurts you at times.
She started working at Jackson Kayak.
She took on a whole new set of responsibilities beyond kayaking.
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Of course, sometimes she wishes she could give more to certain aspects of her life.
I wish I could have way more enthusiasm and patience for my sons school.
I wish I could give my husband more attention.
When she falls short at something, she reminds herself how much she has going on.
She lets herself off the hook.
But I dont regret anything because I have so much other stuff going on.
Having responsibilities beyond her sport also gives her perspective.
So how does she stay centered?
How does she relax and decompress if/when she even has time for it?
Jackson says she cross-stitches sometimes, she reads magazines, and whenever she can, she takes a bath.
When Im home, which is so rare, the bath is definitely my favorite spot.
Bothrunningand kayaking, though, are relaxing and meditative for her.
When Im out on the boat on the water, no one can hand me my kids.
I dont have my phone, no one can get ahold of me, forget it, Im gone.
So that really helps me quiet my mind.
Same when Im kayaking.
She adds that if she finds her mind wandering when shes on the water, shell get out.
The sort of content she does believe we could stand to share more of?
The kind thats super relatable.
Thats a really important part of my image, Jackson says.
Theres no way Im going kayaking.
It makes it hard to relate and thats tricky, she says.
Seeing relatable athletes can help, but the other thing thats key?
Showing people that the sport is fun.
If you are in an event and unhappy with the results and curse, youre off the team.
Other people may respect that and say, Wow, they have so much passion.
But I think you could be passionately happy too.
And really who better than Jackson to show the world that kayaking is fun?
She practices what she preachesand has a sizable medal collection to show for it.
People expect you to look and act a certain way as an athlete.
Im always the goof on the water and people are like, How did she win this?
Well, she says, the people who are having the most fun usually do the best.
