What it’s like to be a clean athlete in the world’s biggest doping scandal | John Jackson OLY
We had the privilege to speak with Royal Marine Commando and 2014 Winter Olympics bronze medallist, John Jackson OLY, about his sporting journey. The bobsleigh athlete talked about his challenges and achievements during his winter sports career and what's next for a clean athlete who suffered more than most from sport's biggest ever drug cheat scandal.
Why bobsleigh?
I’ve always loved speed and adrenaline sports, and got the opportunity through the Royal Marines and Royal Navy to have a go at the sport as there is a military competition every year. I only wanted to tick it off the bucket list at first, but ended up being involved in the sport for 14 years.
What were the attributes that helped you excel at bobsleigh?
Obviously I was lucky that physically my body type suited the requirements of the sport, the short burst sprints, strength and power involved to push a bobsleigh. I had been a Royal Marine for nine years when I first got involved in the sport. This gave me the mental resilience and aptitude to develop the skills required in the sport.
Do you think bobsleigh gets the credit & coverage it deserves in winter sports?
Snow sports get slightly more coverage, but Ice sports as a whole don’t get the coverage they should. This makes it difficult to attract sponsors for teams for UK-based athletes or teams.
How is the current GB men’s bobsleigh team performing?
The GB have recently put in some good results on the world stage. If they had a world class start, they would podium on a regular basis.
What was your finest achievement in the sport?
There are a few milestones within my sliding career. Taking the sport from being unfunded to a UK Sport funded world class team. Winning a World Cup Silver medal, a European Championships Silver medal, but the the Olympic Bronze medal has to be top of the pile.
What impact has receiving the Winter OLY medal 5 years later had on you mentally?
I retired from the sport in the middle of 2016 and a week later the news came out about the state sponsored doping. I have had my mental health issues since retiring and the medal coming so long after my retirement, meant I could never walk away from the sport as this was always hanging over us. I was close to depression and spoke to a doctor and my old team psychologist to help me with the issues I was going through.
I would say I am mentally strong and have the ability to apply myself to anything I want too, but everyone can have a wobble at some point and it is ok to do so. It is recognising the issue and talking about it that is the hardest part.
How did it feel to finally get the medal you craved around your neck back in November?
It was a special evening, but I’m not sure if I had built it up to be something it wasn’t or this is the reality of receiving your medal nearly six years late. It is now working out how to capitalise on it, if there is an opportunity to do so.
What more can be done to stop the drug cheats affecting sport?
More work has to be done to stop the culture, both at a national level and sporting level. In some nations it is more acceptable to use PEDs and also some sports have a long history of drug use. My personal opinion is they should bring back the life time ban. That might deter people from taking it in the first place.
Professional sport is intense. What did you do to relax/get away from it all when competing?
Professional sport at the top is difficult, it is more than a sport, it is a lifestyle. You live it, breath it, sleep it. When on season you travel from hotel to hotel week on week, there is not much time for down time, after bobsleigh training, physical training, driver coaching, physio treatment, it is then about recovery for the following day. FIFA and movies were the main source of entertainment when there was down time.
What are you doing now and what does the future hold for John Jackson?
I am still currently serving within the Royal Marines and have served over 22 years. Currently I am settling in to life as an Olympic Medalist and working out how it all works. I would like to tell my story of the journey through Olympic failure, career threatening injury to Olympic success and beyond retirement, whilst being a clean athlete in the worlds biggest doping scandal.
