2025 Racers Grand Prix–Under the lights of Kingston’s National Stadium, Shericka Jackson ran like a wild storm in Jamaica. It was her second 200m of the season; the Wanda Diamond League had seen her finish at number 2, so the hunger for the win was immense. The cheers grew louder as her name was announced, and when the gunshot cracked, she sprinted not just fast but devilishly fast. Ahead of Canada’s Audrey Leduc (22.80) and the USA’s Caisja Chandler (22.92), the 30-year-old clocked a season-best of 22.53 seconds with a +1.0 m/s wind. The message was clear: she’s back. But this comeback carries a tough story. Something that still looms in Shericka’s difficult past. Hear about it in her own words.

Days before the 100m heats at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Jackson pulled out, explaining it was to protect her body and refocus her energy on the 200 m, after a hamstring/achilles’ concern from a prior meet in Hungary. So she must have done well in the 200 meters, right? That is not the case. Shericka also pulled out of the women’s 200m at Paris 2024 just moments before the heats got underway. She was a favorite to win, and a potential injury risk had her quit it. She described her Paris 2024 Olympic withdrawal as emotionally taxing and mentally draining. How did she overcome it?

After clocking her season best in the 2025 Racers Grand Prix, Shericka Jackson was interviewed by Kareem, the radio host for Track And Tingz. In the interview, posted on June 12, she was asked how she was doing mentally, to which she answered, “Mentally, I’m in a good space. Love to hear it. You know, I have friends like you. I don’t want to single you out, but I have some really, really good persons in my circle. As I said, last year it really affected me a lot mentally. I think I couldn’t recover, you know, and it took me a while.As I said, I have persons in my corner. Whenever I feel down, I take out my phone and I talk, and I feel better. So it’s always good to have people in the corner. Right now, my mental state is intact.”