Florida Senate - 2022 (NP) SR By Senator Baxley 12-03047A-22 20221998__ CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Senate Resolution A resolution recognizing the Olympic achievements of Ocala athletes Erin Jackson, Brittany Bowe, and Joey Mantia. 4

WHEREAS, Erin Jackson, Brittany Bowe, and Joey Mantia, 6 three world-class speed skaters from Ocala, represented the United States at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, 8 with Erin Jackson bringing home a gold medal and Brittany Bowe and Joey Mantia bringing home bronze medals, and

WHEREAS, because Ocala has no ice rink, all three started out as inline skaters on the speed inline team coached by Renee Hildebrand before moving on to speed skating on the ice, and

WHEREAS, the three speed skaters also competed for the United States in the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, with Bowe bringing home a bronze medal in the women’s team pursuit event, and

WHEREAS, Erin Jackson, who also competes in roller derby with the Jacksonville RollerGirls of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, is a world-champion inline skater who was named United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year for Roller Sports in and before making the transition to competing on the ice in 2016, and

WHEREAS, Erin Jackson claimed a spot on Team USA for the 24 Winter Olympics after only months of experience racing on the ice, and

WHEREAS, Erin Jackson won the gold medal in the women’s 27 500-meter speed skating event in Beijing, becoming the first African-American woman ever to win a medal in speed skating and Florida Senate - 2022 (NP) SR 1998 12-03047A-22 20221998__ CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. the first American woman to win Olympic gold in speed skating since 2002, and

WHEREAS, like her teammate and friend Erin Jackson, 32 Brittany Bowe first made her mark as a world-champion inline skater before making the transition to racing on the ice and moving to Salt Lake City, Utah, to train in 2010, and

WHEREAS, at the Team USA trials, Brittany Bowe gave up her spot in the 500-meter speed skating event so that Erin Jackson, who slipped in her race at the trials and barely missed qualifying, could make the roster, and

WHEREAS, Brittany Bowe was one of two athletes chosen to carry the American flag in the Olympic opening ceremonies and went on to compete in the 500-, 1,000-, and 1,500-meter events in Beijing, winning a bronze medal in the 1,000-meter event, and

WHEREAS, Joey Mantia started skating on roller blades at the local indoor skating rink and first learned about speed skating by watching inline skating practice at the rink, going on to win a string of inline racing world championships and set numerous world records, and

WHEREAS, Joey Mantia switched to racing on the ice in 2010 and moved to Salt Lake City to train, and

WHEREAS, Joey Mantia represented Team USA at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, before traveling with Team USA to the Winter Olympics in Beijing, and

WHEREAS, Joey Mantia won his first Olympic medal by claiming the bronze in the men’s team pursuit in Beijing day s before narrowly missing out on a medal in the mass start event, 58 Florida Senate - 2022 (NP) SR 1998 12-03047A-22 20221998__ CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. and

WHEREAS, Erin Jackson, Brittany Bowe, and Joey Mantia demonstrated outstanding athletic ability and sportsmanship in the Winter Olympics and should be applauded as exemplary Floridians,

NOW, THEREFORE, 63