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Deaf rider Ashley Fiolek inspires others- Columbian.com, Clark County, Washington, Vancouver, Breaking News, U.S., World, Entertainment, Video, Weather, Sports
The sounds of motorcycles ring out throughout the trees and the hills of Washougal this weekend — for most racing enthusiasts, anyway.
Ashley Fiolek, a 17-year-old who looks even younger, cannot hear a thing. And while that might be a disadvantage at times, she sure does not show it.
Fiolek, born deaf, is in first place in the points race midway through her first full season riding in the Women’s Motocross Association. Already, she has developed quite a following.
Other riders are trying to learn sign language. Fans seek her out for autographs. One younger rider, who plans on joining the WMA when she is older, said Fiolek is her hero.
“I’m meeting more people all the time, but I’m not a rock star, no,” she said, with a smile, as her mother, Roni, translates.
Ashley Fiolek is an inspiration, though. She has been invited to deaf schools to talk about her accomplishments and her goals.
“I’d like to encourage deaf people that they can do whatever,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re deaf or not. You can do it.”
The WMA event in Washougal is split up into two days. The first moto was Saturday, while the second is at 10:40 a.m. today. The AMA Toyota Motocross Championship then takes over in the afternoon for the Motosport.com Washougal National.
While Fiolek acknowledges there are a few complications on the track because she cannot hear, she said there also are advantages.
“I can’t hear when someone’s behind me, so there’s no pressure there,” she said.
Then there are the vibrations.
“It’s kind of cool,” she said. “I feel vibrations instead of listening to the bike. Other people don’t pay attention to the feel because they hear it instead.”
Miki Keller, the president of the WMA, said that makes Fiolek a more technical rider.
“She’s more sensitive to it,” Keller said. “She’s really in tune with the bike.”
Still, there are times when she might want to change her line in the dirt, but if she is not certain she is clear, she won’t make a move. Fiolek said she is always looking for shapes, shadows, out of the corner of her eyes, not wanting her lack of hearing to cause a crash with an opponent.
There are times, though, when she crashes because of it. Occasionally, she said, she doesn’t get the right feel from the bike, puts it in neutral, and flies over the handlebars.
For the most part, though, Fiolek is in control. She has won four of the six motos and all three WMA overalls this season. Washougal, with a moto held Saturday and another this morning, is Round 4 of 6 on the circuit.
Fiolek began racing when she was 7, falling for the sport when her dad, Jim, brought her to a race. Now that she is a full-time professional, she wants to dominate the game.
“This year, I hope I can win the WMA championship. Long-term goal, I want to win a championship in Europe,” she said. “One day, maybe qualify with the men. I’ll have to be stronger for that. No girl has ever done that. That’s why I want to do that.”
Women’s motocross is a growing sport, too. Next weekend, Fiolek and other members of the WMA will be competing in the X Games in Los Angeles.
“I’m really excited because this is the first year all the girls were invited to go,” she said. “It would be really sick, it would be really cool, to win a gold medal.”
This could be the first time you have ever read about Ashley Fiolek. If all goes her way, it will not be the last.
She wants to dominate her sport, she wants to race against the men, and she wants to encourage others with hearing disabilities.
At 17, time is on her side.
Plus, as already noted, she is pretty fast.
The sounds of motorcycles ring out throughout the trees and the hills of Washougal this weekend — for most racing enthusiasts, anyway.
Ashley Fiolek, a 17-year-old who looks even younger, cannot hear a thing. And while that might be a disadvantage at times, she sure does not show it.
Fiolek, born deaf, is in first place in the points race midway through her first full season riding in the Women’s Motocross Association. Already, she has developed quite a following.
Other riders are trying to learn sign language. Fans seek her out for autographs. One younger rider, who plans on joining the WMA when she is older, said Fiolek is her hero.
“I’m meeting more people all the time, but I’m not a rock star, no,” she said, with a smile, as her mother, Roni, translates.
Ashley Fiolek is an inspiration, though. She has been invited to deaf schools to talk about her accomplishments and her goals.
“I’d like to encourage deaf people that they can do whatever,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re deaf or not. You can do it.”
The WMA event in Washougal is split up into two days. The first moto was Saturday, while the second is at 10:40 a.m. today. The AMA Toyota Motocross Championship then takes over in the afternoon for the Motosport.com Washougal National.
While Fiolek acknowledges there are a few complications on the track because she cannot hear, she said there also are advantages.
“I can’t hear when someone’s behind me, so there’s no pressure there,” she said.
Then there are the vibrations.
“It’s kind of cool,” she said. “I feel vibrations instead of listening to the bike. Other people don’t pay attention to the feel because they hear it instead.”
Miki Keller, the president of the WMA, said that makes Fiolek a more technical rider.
“She’s more sensitive to it,” Keller said. “She’s really in tune with the bike.”
Still, there are times when she might want to change her line in the dirt, but if she is not certain she is clear, she won’t make a move. Fiolek said she is always looking for shapes, shadows, out of the corner of her eyes, not wanting her lack of hearing to cause a crash with an opponent.
There are times, though, when she crashes because of it. Occasionally, she said, she doesn’t get the right feel from the bike, puts it in neutral, and flies over the handlebars.
For the most part, though, Fiolek is in control. She has won four of the six motos and all three WMA overalls this season. Washougal, with a moto held Saturday and another this morning, is Round 4 of 6 on the circuit.
Fiolek began racing when she was 7, falling for the sport when her dad, Jim, brought her to a race. Now that she is a full-time professional, she wants to dominate the game.
“This year, I hope I can win the WMA championship. Long-term goal, I want to win a championship in Europe,” she said. “One day, maybe qualify with the men. I’ll have to be stronger for that. No girl has ever done that. That’s why I want to do that.”
Women’s motocross is a growing sport, too. Next weekend, Fiolek and other members of the WMA will be competing in the X Games in Los Angeles.
“I’m really excited because this is the first year all the girls were invited to go,” she said. “It would be really sick, it would be really cool, to win a gold medal.”
This could be the first time you have ever read about Ashley Fiolek. If all goes her way, it will not be the last.
She wants to dominate her sport, she wants to race against the men, and she wants to encourage others with hearing disabilities.
At 17, time is on her side.
Plus, as already noted, she is pretty fast.