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Spotlight: Linda Jackson, Professional Cyclist
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Posted: Friday June 04, 1999 11:25 AM
At age 40, Jackson is still going strong. |
Born: November 13, 1958, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Residence: Los Altos Hills, Calif.
Upcoming Event: 1999 HP LaserJet Women's Challenge, June 9-20, 1999, Idaho
Worth Watching Because: You're never too old to try something new -- just ask HP LaserJet Women's Challenge defending champion, Linda Jackson. At age 40, Jackson enters this year's race as one of the oldest participants in the 150-person field and one of the favorites.
The Challenge consists of 13 stages over 12 days, with racers covering 693 miles of rugged terrain and climbing 13,870 feet through the majestic mountains of southern Idaho. The race's length has doubled since last year and prize money has been upped from $100,000 to $125,000, which makes the Challenge the world's richest women's cycling event.
Seven years ago, while recovering from a knee injury, Jackson took up cycling as part of her rehabilitation. At the time, she was working as a vice president with Alex Brown and Sons, an investment banking firm in San Francisco, and was biking 40 miles to and from work. Friends began to take notice of Jackson's talent and convinced her to compete in races. She did well early on, but the true sign of her talent came in the 1992 Canadian road race championships, where much to her surprise -- and that of others -- Jackson placed third. In August 1993 Jackson quit her 9-to-5 job, put her six-figure salary on hold and began racing full-time. She burst onto the scene, placing fifth in the Tour de France in 1994 and 1995, and earned a spot on the 1996 Canadian Olympic cycling team.
Even after seven years of top-rank competition, Jackson feels that her legs have endured less wear and tear than those of some of the more experienced Challenge entrants, many of whom are about half her age. Jackson, known for her impressive climbing ability, hopes to ascend to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
Greatest Success: 1998 HP International Women's Challenge Champion; first place 1997 Tour de L'Aude
Quote/Unquote: "Instead of working all those hours [at my desk job] and feeling like crap, I'm living a life of seeing different places and competing against the best. I've never looked back."
Cool Fact: Jackson earned just $3,500 in her first full year of cycling. How does she feel about trading in a life of designer suits and hotel suites for spandex shorts and budget motels? "I'm on top of the world," Jackson says. "Cycling is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me."
Come back soon for a new women's sports Spotlight.
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