Ashley Fiolek facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ashley Fiolek
Fiolek in 2011
Born	October 22, 1990 (1990-10-22) (age 34) Dearborn, Michigan, U.S.
Motocross career
Years active	2008–2012
Teams	Honda
Championships	WMA - 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012
Wins	19

Ashley Fiolek, born on October 22, 1990, is an amazing American athlete. She used to be a professional motocross racer. Now, she works as a stunt actor. She raced in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2008 to 2012. Ashley is deaf and uses American Sign Language to communicate. She is famous for winning the AMA women's motocross national championship four times.

Ashley Fiolek's Early Life and Journey

Ashley Fiolek was born in Dearborn, Michigan. She has been deaf since birth. Her parents learned this when she was about three years old. In August 1998, her family moved to St. Augustine, Florida. This move allowed Ashley to attend the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. It is the biggest school of its kind in the United States.

Growing Up and Discovering Motocross

At the school, Ashley studied ballet. She also ran track and played basketball. When she finished eighth grade, her parents decided to teach her at home. As a child, her family often visited her grandfather's cabin. It was in Wolverine, Michigan. They would ride through the woods for many hours.

Around age three, Ashley's parents gave her a Yamaha PW50. This bike is perfect for very young riders. She rode it for several years with training wheels. Her parents always rode with her. Ashley also has a dog named Bambi.

Ashley Fiolek's Motocross Racing Career

Ashley Fiolek started racing when she was seven years old. She became the 2008 WMX Pro National champion. This was after her first professional win at the WMA Pro National Hangtown. She won many races in the 2009 season too. This included Moto 1 at Hangtown and both motos at Glen Helen.

Winning Championships and Overcoming Injuries

She won the 2009 WMX Pro National Championship again. She finished seventh at Steel City Raceway in Delmont, Pennsylvania, on September 5, 2009. She finished that race in pain. She had fractured her collarbone during a fall. She won the WMX Pro Nationals once more in 2011.

In 2012, Ashley had a crash. She got a concussion and fractured her tailbone. She could not start the race at High Point Raceway in Mount Morris, Pennsylvania. After almost a month off to heal, she returned to racing. This was at RedBud MX in Buchanan, Michigan. There, she began her run for her next title. She won the overall in that race and the next two. These were in Washougal, Washington, and Southwick, Massachusetts. She won the 2012 WMX Pro National Championship at Lake Elsinore, California.

Milestones and Achievements

In 2008, Ashley was the first female motocross racer. She appeared on the cover of TransWorld Motocross magazine. In 2009, she became the first woman to join the American Honda Racing factory team. She was also nominated for an ESPN ESPY Award. In September of that year, DeafPeople.com named her Deaf Person of the Month.

In 2010, Fiolek published her autobiography. It was called Kicking Up Dirt. She wrote it with Caroline Ryder. In 2011, Ashley and her motocross riding were in a commercial for Red Bull. She was the sixth athlete sponsored by Red Bull to appear in a commercial for the energy drink. In 2012, she was featured in Vogue magazine. She also gave a TEDx Talk.

In 2010, Ashley met Noora Moghaddas. Noora was a top motocross racer in the Middle East. The two women became friends while riding. They shared similar goals. They wanted to improve conditions for women and girls in their countries. Ashley said, "Noora continues in her quest to help Iranian women learn how to ride, race and become stronger. I hope to be a part of that important mission with her, so that we can both share our love of motocross with people in other countries! It is great to know our world is really not that big. Even with different languages and cultures, we can all come together and share something we feel passionate about."

X Games Success and Challenges

In 2009, Ashley won her first X Games gold medal. This was in Women's Moto x Super x at X Games 15. She became the X Games' first deaf medalist. She was also the youngest-ever Women's Motocross Association champion. Fiolek won her second X Games Gold Medal in Super X Women's. This was on July 31, 2010, at X Games 16.

In 2011, at X Games 17, Ashley crashed during practice. She was knocked unconscious. Doctors decided she could not compete. In 2012, she missed the X Games for the second year. This was after a concussion from a crash on June 2. That crash happened at WMX Moto 2 in Lakewood, Colorado.

Ashley Fiolek's Life After WMX Racing

In June 2012, Ashley Fiolek appeared on Conan. She was the first deaf person to be on the show. In September 2012, she was in an episode of Switched at Birth. She played Robin Swiller, a motocross racer. Robin became interested in the main character, Emmett Bledsoe. The same month, Ashley told ESPN.com that it was her last season in the outdoor series. However, she said she would still be racing.

In 2013, she confirmed that she had quit WMX. In 2013, she played herself in No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie. In July 2014, she started working as a motorcycle stunt performer. This was for a touring Marvel Universe Live show.

See also

In Spanish: Ashley Fiolek para niños