Ashley Fiolek is kicking up dirt
“Ashley Fiolek’s incredible story perfectly embodies the adage ‘the only
thing that deaf people can’t do is hear.’ Fiolek is an inspiration to anyone
who has a barrier to overcome. My hands are waving in the air, and I’m
screaming for her; this book should not be missed.” —Marlee Matlin
Buy Kicking Up Dirt at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders or an independent
bookseller.
At nineteen, Ashley Fiolek is already the top female competitor in a tough
men’s sport: motocross, a form of off-road motorcycle racing that is one of
the most competitive and dangerous extreme sports in the world. Since going
pro in late 2007, Fiolek has taken gold at the X Games, won the American
Women’s Motocross Championship twice, and become the first woman in American
motocross history to be signed to a factory team—the highest echelon of
industry backing.
But Fiolek’s rise has not come without obstacles. Fiolek was born profoundly
deaf, a handicap that makes everyday life difficult—and competition on the
track downright dangerous. Originally misdiagnosed as “mildly retarded,” she
was a painfully shy and introverted child—until her parents introduced her
to the world of dirt bikes, which helped her escape the silence in her head
and connect with others who shared her passion. She began racing at seven,
and as her successes grew through hard work and no small number of broken
bones, so did her confidence.
Fiolek has never believed her disability should stand in the way of her
dreams. Nor has she allowed her gender to limit her career—motocross
historically has been a men’s sport, but with the love and support of her
dirt-obsessed family, including her “Grandpa Motorcycle,” her little
brother, Kicker, and her dogs, Turbo and Rocco, Ashley has emerged as one of
the sport’s most talked-about stars, changing the way the entire industry
views women. Armed with her extraordinary talent, contagious grin, and deep
faith in God, Fiolek continues to venture into unknown territory,
relentlessly pushing herself—and women’s motocross—to ever-greater heights.
Kicking Up Dirt is a remarkable, inspiring tale of a young woman’s courage
and determination to succeed in the face of truly challenging obstacles.