Athlete Profile: Nani Jackson

Name

Nani Jackson

Course and Year of Study

BA Philosophy and Linguistics, 1st Year

College

St Hilda's College

Sport

Swimming

Club

Oxford University Swim Club (when in UK) / All Star Aquatics (when in US)

Highest Competition Level

International

Best Achievement

Founding the women's swim team at my high school in 2019 and then winning the league championships as a team in 2023.

Short Term Aspirations

This year, I am looking to qualify for several Blues times, set at least one new OUSC record, and help the team win the upcoming Varsity Match.

Long Term Aspirations

In the long term, I hope to win an event at BUCS and continue competing at both the national and international level.

How did you get into the sport?

My older brother was on a swim team and even though I was very young, I was really frustrated that I could not join him, so as soon as the swim team would accept me (when I was 5 years old) I started swimming competitively.

What is your advice on balancing sport and academia?

Something a coach of mine once told me that really stuck with me is to 'always remember you're a scholar-athlete, not an athlete-scholar,' meaning academic work always needs to be a priority, even when athletics get really intense. I also think it's important to take time to recharge by doing activities outside of sport and academia to help relieve some of the pressure of having two significant commitments.