Photo Credit: powersports.honda.com
Ashley Fiolek was a 5 year professional motocross racer who also struggled with a hearing disability. Ashley was deaf and became the 1st deaf racer for many different things. She was the 1st deaf professional racer on the woman’s circuit along with the first deaf National winner. Ashley was also the 1st deaf WMX National Champion. Fiolek was the 1st female to ever earn a full factory ride. Ashley states that the reason she left racing was due to the fact that there was no support for women. Trying to make a living based off of racing is not easy as a female because women get paid less then men do.
“Well, I quit because there was no support for women’s motocross racing anymore. It was great for a few years, but I told myself I wouldn’t risk doing something for no money. It’s sad because I know all the girls and I worked so hard to be on the top like the guys, but unfortunately we weren’t treated as well as the men. I can say that I am happy to have walked away from racing healthy and also that I accomplished all of my goals,” stated Ashley in an interview with Transworld Motocross.
Ashley retired in 2012 after winning her last WMX National Championship. Since then, Ashley still rides for fun and also acts. Ashley has been seen in a few episodes of the TV Series ‘Switched at Birth’ along with a couple movies as a stunt rider. Ashley says that she is disappointed to see that racing for women has not really changed much. She is upset to see that females still do not get the support that they should.
Article Submitted by Car Chix Contributor: Beba
