(NEXSTAR) - Speed skater Erin Jackson described carrying the flag for her country as a "really special" and emotional moment during a recent interview. Jackson was chosen for the honor by a vote of her teammates, an endorsement she said made the experience even more meaningful. Jackson noted the energy of the crowd and the feeling of support from her peers while leading the national delegation. She said she felt appreciated by her fellow athletes, which added to the significance of the event. She has since finished her individual racing events and reflected on her performance in the 500-meter event, where she experienced a record-breaking start that she said impacted her rhythm during the remainder of the race. "It's kind of counterintuitive, sometimes having the best start ever doesn't really set you up for the best race because it could mean that I was just running a bit too much, which, for me, makes a lot of speed when I should have been skating more," Jackson said. She noted that she carried that faster cadence into the back stretch, which caused her to stumble over her feet. Before her success on the ice, Jackson focused primarily on her education and held aspirations outside of professional sports. She earned an engineering degree and initially intended to pursue a career in science. "As a skater, it's kind of a strange question for me because I didn't really dream of being where I am now," Jackson said. "I dreamed of being more of a scholar. I wanted to be an astronaut." She noted that school was always her main priority before she transitioned to ice skating. Jackson's transition to the ice began after a video of her skating caught the attention of coaches. She was invited to Salt Lake City to train after someone observed her skating "very badly" on the ice. Prior to this invitation, Jackson said ice skating was an "afterthought" in her life. Jackson identified her teammate, Brittany Bowe, as a longtime inspiration and mentor. "I will say that someone who I've looked up to, even back when I was a roller skater, it's been my teammate Bowe because we're from the same small town in Florida," Jackson said. She described watching Bowe's progression from a world champion inline skater to an Olympic competitor as a significant influence on her own career. Now a prominent figure in the sport herself, Jackson said she frequently receives heartwarming messages from children and their parents. She expressed gratitude for her career and a desire to encourage others to join the sport. "I think it's a really special thing. It's always really heartwarming to read the messages from other kids or their parents," Jackson said. "I hope that I can inspire more people to get involved in the sport." Jackson and her teammates are currently participating in the voting process to select the flag bearer for the upcoming closing ceremony. Jackson said it is "really cool" to be part of the process for the next person to lead the delegation. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published