LAKEWOOD — These days, a lot of attention is being thrown Ashley Fiolek’s way.
At 17 years old, Fiolek leads the Women’s Motocross Association points standings, she’s just one second off qualifying for the American Motorcyclist Association’s men’s races, and she’s deaf.
But as she said through her father, Jim Fiolek, “I just race. It doesn’t matter that I’m deaf.”
It does matter though. Fiolek, who was born profoundly deaf, is a role model at a young age, and she takes her “job” seriously. Fiolek showed off her form Saturday by winning the first WMA race at Thunder Valley and took third in the second women’s race.
“I think it’s cool,” she said about being a role model. “I hope I can influence other people to do what they want to do.”
Fiolek, who lives in St. Augustine, Fla., began racing at 7, following in her father’s tire tracks, so to speak. Jim Fiolek raced motocross in Michigan, but not at the level of his daughter.
“I don’t know if you could call it racing,” Jim Fiolek said of his career.
After winning the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals in 2004, Ashley Fiolek decided that racing was her life’s passion.
“Basically, I started focusing on racing,” she said. “I decided to work hard for two to three years and see where it takes me. My mom and dad changed the whole program. I’m home-schooled now. I have a full-time personal trainer who helps me with mental preparation, diet, endurance and strength training.”
All that hard work has taken Fiolek to the top of the women’s motocross world. Now one of the Honda rider’s goals is to be the first woman to qualify for the men’s top pro racing circuit.
“I really, really want to race AMA,” she said as her face lit up. “I’m just going to work hard.”
Gaining the points lead has not been without its ups and downs.
“I’ve had a lot of crashes, injuries,” Fiolek said. “I don’t want to talk about it. It’s just part of racing.”
As a deaf rider, she may be more in tune with the bike than other racers.
“I do shift by feel,” she said, “but I don’t know if I have an advantage because I’m deaf. I have to hold my line when I race because I can’t hear the other racers. I look for shadows, and if they are getting too close … ”
She just goes faster.
Fiolek didn’t have to worry about the other racers Saturday, as she took the hole-shot in the first race and stayed in the lead to the checkered flag.
Before the race, she said she was a little nervous, but, “I’m just going out to have some fun.”
Sounds like a typical teenager, but Fiolek has proven she is more than your run-of-the-mill kid.
Eliza Marie Somers: 303-954-1629 or lsomers@denverpost.com
