Kicking Up Dirt: A True Story of Determination, Deafness, and Daring

by Ashley Fiolek, Caroline Ryder

At nineteen, Ashley Fiolek is already the top female competitor in a tough men's 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.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography

235 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 23, 2010

Reviews

[Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing though for some people that don't race dirt bikes some of the names may seem confusing.This book is a bout a 19 Year old girl that is deaf and rises through the amatuer ranks to become a WMX pro motocrosser.I would recomend this book to any girl motocrossers or people that want to learn more about Ashley.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a woman in motocross. She's only 5'2 but can handle a 250cc dirt bike, is the first woman to be on a factory team, and she's deaf. She's not even old enough to drink but is handed champagne in the victory's circle to poor on her team. Her name is Ashley Fiolek, pronounced "Fy-lek, not Fee-oh-lek."

For full review, please click the link:

http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2010/...

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book so much! I love to read her story of how she became her today.

[Cole Bergeron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book that keeps you on the edge of your seat!

[Christian Hannemann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to people who are into sports, biographies and also teenagers. I would reccomend this book to those people, because I feel like it would keep them interested. It's about a girl who is deaf, and has to overcome many challenges in her life. Such as, everyday things like communication and her job. She depends on the vibrations and shadows on the ground to guide her through each moto. This story starts out when she was a baby and continues on from there. This book and Ashley are an inspiration. Living your dreams when others thought it would be impossible. She proved herself, not only to her family and herself, but to the world as well. With determination, patience and a supporting family she has proved you really can do anything you set your mind too.

[Kirsty (alkalinekiwi) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This caught my eye at a bookshop discount sale and the description fascinated me enough that I wanted to read it.

I found this a quick read and powered through it in one sitting as the subject matter of motorcross was gripping. How she learns to feel her bike to know how to change gears, how she would get back up on her bike after crashes and how her and others worked for equality for women in the sport was very inspirational.

I have a few people in mind to pass this on to.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really spoke to me and I really enjoyed it. The emotions were great and I really felt like she was talking to me. I would love to meet Ashley she is great and truly inspirational. I'm so jealous that she got to meet Travis Pastrana. Would definitely recommend to anyone with a love for sport and women who want their sports to become more promoted.

See me full review at rebekahhulse109@blogspot.com

[Isaac Danke · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think that riding a 300 pound motorcycle for 40 minutes is easy, try doing it deaf. This is what Ashley has to deal with. She is currently the top racer in Women's AMA. Her story is inspirational and is a living example that if you set your mind to something, you can do it. This would be a good read for anyone who enjoys extreme sports.

[Ace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It's a terrific read for fans of motocross, but also fun for those who don't know a lot about the sport - Fiolek does a wonderful job of explaining motocross terms to welcome new fans. The story of her career as a deaf racer is touching and inspirational. The writing is clear and concise, which makes the story accessible to readers of all ages.

[Tweller83 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story about a girl motocross rider who happens to be deaf as well. I enjoyed learning more about the sport and how she rides without being able to hear the engines and the other racers. She has been extremely successful. I think my students will like this one.

[Trevan Hetzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An autobiography of one of the fastest women motocrossers, Kicking up Dirt is a fun inside look at the life of a top pro. Ashley's detailed journey from birth to WMX championships is a great testimony that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Being deaf hasn't held her back one bit!

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

We decided that although we learned a lot about motocross through Ashley's story, it was often bogged down in details about each individual race.

[William Kregor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book because it is well written about her life of MotoX. I find it amazing that she is blind and she has to learn how to ride a Dirtbike without being able to hear the motors revs.

[Grant Laird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!!!

[Morgan]

This is now one of my favorite books! It was so interesting!!!

[Rodney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. I love to read Ashley
Fiolek's book.