‘End of an era’ – Australia’s first skeleton Olympic medallist retires to shape future Olympians
“All I ever wanted to be was an Olympian.” It was the dream that 33-year-old Jackie Narracott held onto since she was nine, glued to the TV watching every moment of the Sydney 2000 Games. Two decades later, she was standing on the podium as Australia’s first ever Olympic Winter Games medallist in skeleton.
After an outstanding 13-year career on the track in the sport she loves, the QAS supported athlete is retiring.
“It’s the end of an era, and the end of me being an athlete, and that’s a hard transition to make, when in my head I have been an athlete since I was nine,” said Narracott.
“All I ever wanted to be was an Olympian, so to get there twice I am very proud of that, and to medal is phenomenal and well beyond anything I thought I would ever get when I first started.”
It was a crash course to success for Jackie, born and bred in the Sunshine State, her story bridges two generations of Olympic ambition – with uncle Paul Narracott the first Aussie to compete in both Winter and Summer Games.
As a teenager, Jackie chased her dream relentlessly – down the athletics track and onto the football pitch, but years of challenges, setbacks and injuries saw her almost give it all up.
After a chance encounter with Australia’s bobsled team while at university, Jackie took a spontaneous trip to Austria for the 2011 World Cup. It was there she discovered skeleton and it was love at first slide.
A career travelling at speeds of up to 140km per hour somehow made sense for the Queenslander. “I was that kid at Wet‘n’Wild that would throw myself down the waterslides head-first,” Narracott said.
A decade later, challenging injuries and two Olympic campaigns, Jackie executed her plan to the podium securing silver at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.
“To everyone who has been part of my journey from when I was nine and just starting though to the last couple of years, thank you. There is no way I would be sitting here with my achievements without your help,” she said.
“The last 12-18 months have been a journey to get from winning the medal in Beijing, to then taking the year off and having knee surgery, the rehab from that confirmed that I don’t have the mental or emotional reserves to do this again.”
While her Olympic journey comes to an end, it’s only the beginning of Jackie’s legacy, as she comes full circle hunting for future Olympians and Paralympians as part of the QAS’ YouFor2032 Talent Search team.
“I hope I am not the last, I want my achievements to ensure the next generation can go and shoot for their dreams and see that what we’ve done is possible.
“I had great role models before me who I am incredibly grateful for, and I hope I can be that for the next generation.”
Last updated: 03 Oct 2024