Alison Jackson
Hometown
Vermilion, Alberta
Birthdate
14 December 1988
Languages
English and "second languages" (aka I speak a little Italian, French, Spanish but they tend to all blend together but have an Italian accent)
Nicknames
AJ...or that TikTok girl
Alison Jacson returns to the squad for the 2023 season after a three year hiatus, bringing with her a sprinting and classics background. She raced a strong 2022 season, winning the points competition at the Tour of Scandinavia and narrowly missing out on defending her Canadian national champion’s road title. She finished second at Drentse Acht van Westerveld, improving on her fifth place result in 2021. She is a former Canadian time trial national champion and raced in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Born in Alberta, Canada, Alison grew up wanting to work on her family’s farm. Noticing that Alison still had plenty of energy to spare after completing her chores, her parents enrolled her in just about every sport and type of dance class offered in their small town. It was only a matter of time until Alison discovered cycling as a 19-year-old. While racing in western Canada, her steady results netted her first professional contract in 2015 which was her stepping stone to European racing.
Today she divides her time between her hometown of Vermilion, Aberta, her Canadian training grounds of Abbotsford, BC, and her race base in Girona, Spain. Abbotsford is where she got her start as a cyclist and to this day she loves to catch up with friends while exploring the hills on gravel and single track trails. Her favorite ride from Girona is to climb up the backside of scenic El Far through the medieval village of Rupit.
She's not only an amazing rider, but even better leader and friend on the team. On April 8, 2023, she won Paris-Roubaix Femmes in an amazing display of grit and racing instinct. This summer she claimed her second Canadian road race national championship so keep an eye out for her maple leaf jersey in the peloton.
You can also find Alison on social media where you’ll find her dancing in lycra and often getting her teammates in on the action.
Get to know Alison
If you weren’t a professional cyclist, what would you be?
Another type of professional athlete! Or a chiropractor. Or a hip-hop dancer. Or a ballerina.
When did you first start cycling?
I got my first bike when I was 19! I started cycling with other cyclists around that time, 2008
When the race gets tough, what do you tell yourself?
"What if..." I might just repeat that part of the mantra or maybe I finish the thought...because what if I suffer just a little bit longer and then win the race? What if...this is the moment that makes the race? What if...you actually can?
Who's your favorite athlete?
I love Bethany Hamilton, the surfer.
What's your favorite book? If you don't have one, what's the last book you read?
I'm always reading The Message. This year I've really enjoyed Love Does by Bob Goff. It's a book about living a life of whimsy and believing in God that I would like my life to flow like.