Ashley Fiolek
Encyclopedia
Ashley Fiolek is a deaf
motocross
racer in the Women's Motocross Association. Racing with numberplate 67, she was the 2008 WMA Pro National champion after her first professional win at the WMA Pro National Hangtown. She also won many races in the 2009 season, including Moto 1 at Hangtown and both motos at Glen Helen. She repeated as 2009 WMA Pro National Champion by finishing 7th at Steel City Raceway in Delmont, Pennsylvania
on September 5, 2009. She finished this race in pain with a collarbone fracture due to a spill during the race.
and has been deaf since birth. Fiolek's family moved to St. Augustine, Florida
so she could attend the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind
, the largest school of this type in the United States
. At the school, she studied ballet, ran track, and played basketball. When Fiolek finished eighth grade, her parents decided to begin homeschooling her.
As a child, she used to ride on the front of her mother's 4-wheeler or her father's bike. Her family often went to her Grandfather's house in Northern Michigan and rode through the woods for hours. Around the age of three, Fiolek's parents gave her a Yamaha PW50, a bike suitable for very young riders. She did not use the bike very often; she had trouble with the training wheels and preferred to ride with her parents.
In May 2011, Fiolek and her motocross riding were featured in a commercial for Red Bull
. She is the sixth athlete sponsored by Red Bull to appear in a commercial for the energy drink.
. Fiolek won her second consecutive X-Games Gold Medal in Super X Women's on July 31, 2010 at X-Games 16.
Hearing impairment
-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
racer in the Women's Motocross Association. Racing with numberplate 67, she was the 2008 WMA Pro National champion after her first professional win at the WMA Pro National Hangtown. She also won many races in the 2009 season, including Moto 1 at Hangtown and both motos at Glen Helen. She repeated as 2009 WMA Pro National Champion by finishing 7th at Steel City Raceway in Delmont, Pennsylvania
Delmont, Pennsylvania
Delmont is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,497 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Delmont is located at ....
on September 5, 2009. She finished this race in pain with a collarbone fracture due to a spill during the race.
Early life
Fiolek was born on October 22, 1990 in Dearborn, MichiganDearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
and has been deaf since birth. Fiolek's family moved to St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
so she could attend the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind
Florida School for the Deaf and Blind
The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind is a state-supported boarding school for deaf and blind children established in 1885, in St. Augustine, Florida, USA.-History:...
, the largest school of this type in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. At the school, she studied ballet, ran track, and played basketball. When Fiolek finished eighth grade, her parents decided to begin homeschooling her.
As a child, she used to ride on the front of her mother's 4-wheeler or her father's bike. Her family often went to her Grandfather's house in Northern Michigan and rode through the woods for hours. Around the age of three, Fiolek's parents gave her a Yamaha PW50, a bike suitable for very young riders. She did not use the bike very often; she had trouble with the training wheels and preferred to ride with her parents.
Career
Fiolek began racing at age seven. In April 2010 Fiolek published her first book, Kicking Up Dirt, with It Books, co-written with journalist Caroline Ryder (HarperCollins Publishers).In May 2011, Fiolek and her motocross riding were featured in a commercial for Red Bull
Red Bull
Red Bull is an energy drink sold by the Austrian Red Bull GmbH, created in 1987 by the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz. In terms of market share, Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 3 billion cans sold each year. Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by an already...
. She is the sixth athlete sponsored by Red Bull to appear in a commercial for the energy drink.
X Games
In 2009, Fiolek won her first X-Games gold medal in Women's Moto X Super X at X-Games 15X Games XV
X Games XV was the fifteenth annual X Games. It was an action sporting event which took place from July 30 - August 2, 2009 in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center and the Home Depot Center...
. Fiolek won her second consecutive X-Games Gold Medal in Super X Women's on July 31, 2010 at X-Games 16.
In 2011, at X-Games 17, Fiolek crashed during practice and was knocked unconscious. Doctors determined she would be unable to compete.