An American Olympian described the 'pinch-me-is-this-real' feeling of her rapid rise as a gold-medal favorite

• Erin Jackson is a top-ranked speed skater and a favorite to win gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
• Just five years before these winter games, the Florida native was a relative newcomer to the ice.

Erin Jackson was a relative newcomer on the ice just five years ago.

Today, she's a top-ranked speed skater and a gold-medal favorite representing the United States at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

"It's a pinch-me-is-this-real kind of thing," Jackson told Insider, referring to her rapid rise in the sport.

Growing up in Ocala, Florida, Jackson didn't have much organic experience with winter sports. But as a longtime inline skater and roller derby player, she caught the attention of the Team USA officials who saw her potential for greatness on the ice.

Turns out they had a pretty good eye for talent.

The now-29-year-old made the transition to the ice just four months before qualifying for the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang. It was an astounding feat, especially considering how many others in the field spend decades training for a shot at the games.

But Jackson wasn't all that shocked.

"I've been training hard my whole life using very similar muscles in inline skating and roller derby," she explained.

She finished in 24th in her signature event, the women's speed skating 500-meter race, at her first Olympic Games. But since then, she's had an even more astounding surge in the sport.

With more than a few months to train on the ice, Jackson morphed into a juggernaut. She won four of the eight 500-meter World Cups leading up to the Olympics, and now she's Team USA's top chance at taking home a medal in the event.

She admitted that life has gotten "a little chaotic" now that she's a frontrunner and an American star. But she feels prepared for what's about to come.

"Just a bit more intensity in the air," Jackson said. "You can feel that it's almost showtime. You try to just stay in your routine, but you can sense it's a special time."

Jackson is scheduled to compete in the women's speed skating 500-meter event on Sunday night Beijing time. Fans looking to watch stateside can tune in to USA Network or Peacock at 9:00 a.m. ET to watch the American star compete for her first Olympic medal.