Ashley Fiolek, Honda Red Bull factory Motocross team rider, X-Games gold medalist and teenage girl has released a book chronicling her astounding life thus far. At age 18, Honda recognized her brilliant skills after 13 amateur national titles and after winning the AMA/WMA Women’s Motocross Championship on her first try and invited her to join the factory team. While these achievements are incredible on their own, the teen achieved them despite being born profoundly deaf.
“Kicking up Dirt” discusses her unique situation, from her deafness to her original misdiagnoses as “mildly retarded” Fiolek recalls the catalysts that turned her into one of the most talked about Motocross riders today. Fiolek began racing at age seven and with the support of her “dirt-obsessed” family she progressed to become a rider to redefine women’s motocross forever. She contributes her ability to overcome her shyness and disabilities to her opportunity to connect with others who shared her great passion for dirtbikes.
Fiolek is a person who is relatable to anyone facing barriers or challenges in their lives. Her story is a larger metaphor for anyone with a dream. In a review of the book, Marlee Matlin states, “Ashley Fiolek’s incredible story perfectly embodies the adage ‘the only thing that deaf people can’t do is hear,’” could not be more true. And who knows, perhaps the fact she could not hear the nay-sayers, who undoubtedly exist, contributed to her not believing in impossible and eventually redefining a entire industry.
