"There’s always gonna be some adult sitting on his couch trying to talk bad about you"- Shawnti Jackson on mental health at USATF awards

Eighteen-year-old Shawnti Jackson recently opened up about mental health wellness at the 2023 USATF Awards. The young track and field athlete shared her thoughts upon receiving the USATF Young Athlete of the Year award on Sunday.

While receiving the honor, Jackson thanked her father and coach Bershawn Jackson for constantly encouraging her to work hard and inspiring her to embrace her athletic journey. It is worth noting that Bershawn is an Olympic 400m hurdles medalist.

The Arkansas Razorbacks athlete also shared her thoughts on self-care and focusing on one’s mental health by keeping away from mobile phones.

“Mental health is everything, social media is everything," she said after receiving the award. "Please make sure you take time to put your phone down and just to worry about yourself. Take self-care days. Even with me, I know I have to… you know, our social media is a big thing.

"You have to have a social media presence. But I need to learn how to put my phone down coz no matter how old you are, there’s always gonna be some adult sitting on his couch tryna’ talk bad about you."

In a span of two years, Shawnti Jackson has registered an impressive set of records and achievements elevating her athletic career. In 2022, she broke the indoor high school national record by running 7.18 for the 60m at the Millrose Games.

Jackson was on a winning spree at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships. She won three medals, including a gold and silver medal in the 4x100m relay race and 4x400m relay race, respectively. She also bagged a bronze medal in the 100m race by clocking 11.15s.

Recently, Jackson also signed a one-year NIL deal with Brooks Running.

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Everything to know about Shawnti Jackson’s NIL deal with Brooks

Shawnti Jackson at the 2023 USATF NYC Grand Prix.

In September, Shawnti Jackson made headlines by signing a NIL deal with Brooks Running. She became the first-ever athlete, male or female, to close a deal with the brand.

It was Jackson’s commendable string of achievements in her senior college year that made it possible. After announcing the deal, Garrett Heath, Brooks' head of sports marketing, told in a press release:

"We're incredibly excited to work with Shawnti in this next chapter. This NIL partnership signals our commitment to continuous innovation and building high-performance speed product alongside the best athletes in the world."

Expressing her excitement to become the face of the brand, Shawnti Jackson said in the same press release:

"I had great experiences going to Brooks PR Invitational over the past three years.The competition was top level and I always had fun meeting some of the best athletes in the country. I'm excited to partner with Brooks, continue to race the best in the world, and run happy."