Olympic bobsledder and US Air Force airman Jasmine Jones says she is honored to wear the American flag on her uniform and her racing suit as she heads into her first Olympic Games.
According to The Post Millennial, Jones described the privilege of serving in uniform while competing on the world stage as a responsibility that sets a higher standard for her performance and conduct. I feel like being able to represent my country, as well as being an athlete for my country, it definitely brings a different meaning and a different caliber, Jones told Fox News. I feel like there's so few people who do both at the same time, and I'm honored to have this opportunity to represent both. I'm thankful for being an airman and representing my country in that aspect.
"It definitely ties it together and brings different meaning and how much more I have to give, she added, underscoring that her military service deepens her sense of duty on the ice track. Jones path to the Olympics was not guaranteed, as she narrowly missed qualifying for the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.
After that disappointment, she enlisted in the Air Force and entered the World Class Athlete Program, which supports elite competitors in uniform. "I'm just thankful to be an airman," she explained. "Going into the WCAP program, that allowed me to truly have my offseason training, allowed me to get to this point Having that offseason training to be able to focus truly and put in the work. That transpired with this moment."
Now balancing life as both a mother and a soldier-athlete, Jones said her experience has forged a toughness that carries over into competition. "The biggest thing I've learned is being resilient, and I feel like that plays a part, where, going into basic, and you're waking up early. You're following orders, she said.
"You're getting that discipline needed, and that goes into bobsled So, I feel like transitioning from basic training and having that discipline as well translates into just knowing exactly what I'm supposed to do." Her unapologetically patriotic stance has drawn praise from Americans who are weary of athletes using the Olympic platform to disparage their own country.
Jones attitude stands in stark contrast to some Team USA members who have publicly criticized representing the United States, even while benefiting from its opportunities and freedoms. Notably, skier Hunter Hess faced backlash after saying he had mixed emotions representing the country amid the Trump administrations immigration policies, a remark that highlighted the growing divide between grievance-driven activism and the traditional ideal of grateful, duty-bound service that Jones embodies.
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