Jackson Overcomes Obstacles, Stays on Track at Radford University

By Mike Ashley ‘83

Jordan Jackson is a track star who grew up idolizing her heroes and heroines.

Those champions usually wore the home white and were out in front of the pack making a difference. They were nurses.

Now the Radford University senior is in the last leg of her race to join their ranks, entering her final semester in Radford University's acclaimed nursing program. An all-conference distance sprinter for the Highlanders, Jackson is on track for a great winter and spring season, all while putting in long hours as a nursing major. She is a consensus choice as the first recipient of the Carilion Clinic Endowed Athletics Scholarship for achievements in college athletics and in the classroom. She is also set to be honored on court at the upcoming January 10th home men's basketball game against UNC Asheville.

Jackson has stayed the course to fulfill her dreams despite suffering with asthma throughout her life. She's a nurse that truly understands being a patient. And she's a competitor that just won't give in even when the demands of her dual pursuits require extra planning, and truth be told, more motivation.

"I spent a lot of time in and out of hospitals when I was a kid, and that's not fun for anybody," the Richmond native recalls. "The nurses really had an impact on me. They made the hospital visit not so horrible and I always thought of that and wanted to have that kind of impact."

Jackson is having an impact wherever she goes. And she is literally always on the go.

"Because of the time she puts into her studies as an upper-level nursing student, Jordie often practices on her own away from the team," explains her coach, Shelli Sayers. "Yet, she's still one of our top competitors. It's a real credit to her determination and self-discipline. I couldn't be prouder of her."

Jackson, who broke her older sister's records at Cosby High School, has been a key performer on the Highlanders' 4x400 relay team, which placed first or second in four meets last indoor season. She won the individual 400-meters at the VMI Team Challenge and was part of the winning distance medley relay team at the 2024 Big South Conference Indoor Championship.

Those highlights are just part of her story, though. This fall, for instance, Jackson's schedule had her at Roanoke Memorial Hospital for clinicals for three different classes Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays, shadowing professional nurses and handling many key healthcare responsibilities herself. She has a full class load on Thursday mornings and all day on Friday. Couple those assignments with two hours a day working out in preparation for her Saturday competitions.

"Jordan is just different, she has always pushed herself," says her mother, Tracey Jackson. "In high school she found the work she did in class to excel and then the running balanced her."

Her mother is the voice over the phone helping to alleviate stress, allowing her to vent a little and recalibrate. Perhaps fortunately, Jordan has always been a competitor.

When she and twin brother Eddie Jr. (a football defensive back at Furman) were born, Jordan swallowed meconium in her mother's system. She spent six days in the hospital on a ventilator with breathing complications.

Jackson was a steady visitor to hospitals until she was 12, and medications began to help her breathe easier. The asthma can still have its way – she had four hospital visits last spring and missed the conference track championship – but she has learned to control her triggers.

"I've learned the times its worst and just try to stay in front of it," Jordan says. "It's being consistent with my medications and just knowing my body. If I'm not feeling great when I'm practicing, I'll let someone know and we're all prepared. Cold air, high altitude, the weather changing, dust, pollen, trees, grass can all affect me."

Jackson has found a home in bucolic Radford, though the school sits in the mountains, has some cold air and lots of trees. It also has people that attracted someone like her. First, it was the nursing program, linked directly with Carilion and consistently ranked among the best in the region for quality, affordability, and an astounding 99 percent employment rate.

Then when Jordan visited and met coach Sayers, she saw Radford was the place for her. "I knew when talking to her she cared about her athletes and it wasn't just about what time you need to run, how talented you are. It was more emotionally motivated and about personality, and that's what I wanted from a coach. I knew that dealing with nursing I needed a coach I could depend on, that would be there for me."

Jackson runs every day, but after clinical assignment she is often on her own. She sometimes works in the team's training facilities on a lever-pulley system, reducing the strain on her body, especially joints and feet.

"I never want to use school being hard as a reason to be average," Jackson confides. "I came to school for track and nursing, and I'm committed to both. I have the drive and motivation to be great. This is my senior year and I'm pushing myself, giving 100 percent."

Carilion Clinic Chief Nursing Officer Michelle Franklin lauds Jackson's drive in presenting the prestigious new award. "Jordan's dedication to nursing and her academic excellence exemplify the values we cherish at Carilion Clinic. Scholarships like this help us invest in the future of healthcare and support outstanding students who will make a difference in our communities. We're proud our long-standing partnership with Radford University and are grateful for the opportunity to support the next generation of caregivers together."

The Carilion Clinic Endowed Athletic Scholarship will be presented annually to a top Radford University junior or senior in a healthcare major and planning a career in the field.

"Jordan epitomizes the heart and soul of Radford Athletics and what it means to be a Highlander," says Radford University Athletics Director Robert Lineburg. "Hard work, improvement every year, nursing major. Thank you to everyone at Carilion Clinic for your continued support for Radford University Athletics."

With her collegiate finish line in sight, Jackson looks back at her beginnings in middle school, literally trying to keep up with four-year-older sister, Trinity, who would go on to play college basketball. "She did all the sports and watching her drove me to compete and try to be as good. In high school that was my motivation -- to beat her times."

Jackson has moved on to bigger goals, and is still winning, particularly in the 400-meters. She was part of the state championship relay at Cosby and has now helped break the 4x4 400 relay Radford school record three times, usually running the first leg to start the team fast.

She hopes to be doing the same thing in her nursing career, helping others on the road to recovery with fast starts, steady work and strong finishes. "It hasn't always been easy, but I found a second family here with the people on the team and in my classes," she says. "I think being an athlete your competitiveness helps drive you in life."

And in the long run, that's a big reason Jordan Jackson is a success.

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Players Mentioned

Jordan Jackson: Sprints/Relays; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Jordan Jackson
: Sophomore
: Sprints/Relays