After growing up paddling on the Potomac River, Jacobi took his talents to the international stage and competed in twenty different countries, winning Whitewater National Championships in Australia, the Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Chile, and the U.S. Jacobi won the C2 U.S. National Championship for five consecutive years (1988–1992), and finished second in the overall standings of the C1 Champion International Whitewater series in 1991 and 1995 (he also placed fifth in 1992 and third in 1994).

Jacobi finished in second place in his single canoe class at the 2000 Olympic Trials and was an alternate for the American team; he did not compete in Sydney.

On December 15, 2001, Jacobi carried the Olympic torch through Nashville, Tennessee as it made its way to Salt Lake City, Utah, for the 2002 Winter Games.

Jacobi stated, "With the recent challenges confronting our society, the upcoming Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City not only offer a tremendous element of healing for our country, but also a source of inspiration for the entire world."

[1] In 2010, Jacobi became the Chief Executive Officer for USA Canoe/Kayak, the national governing body for Olympic level paddle sports in the United States.