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

by Ashley Fiolek (Author), Caroline Ryder (Author)

"Ashley Fiolek's incredible story perfectly embodies the adage 'the only thing that deaf people can't do is hear.' Fiolek is an inspiration to anyone who has a barrier to overcome. My hands are waving in the air, and I'm screaming for her; this book should not be missed."
--Marlee Matlin

"Ashley Fiolek's not just good at motocross for a girl...she's flat-out good. She is a tough, confident, competitive racer who has overcome enough in her life to know that nothing is impossible."
--Travis Pastrana, nine-time X Games gold medalist and host of Nitro Circus

Called "a crusader for gender equity in her sport" by the New York Times, 2008 Women's Motocross Champion Ashley Fiolek's inspiring memoir about her life-long deafness, her triumph over adversity, her rise to the top of her male-dominated extreme sport, and how her family and Christian faith helped her get there. Fans of motocross and extreme sports, as well as readers who enjoyed memoirs such as Bethany Hamilton's Soul Surfer, will be inspired by Kicking Up Dirt.

Front Jacket

At nineteen, Ashley Fiolek is already the top female competitor in a tough men's sport: motocross, one of the most dangerous extreme sports in the world. Since going pro in late 2007, Fiolek has taken gold at the X Games, twice won the American Women's Motocross Championship, and become the first woman in American motocross history to be signed to a factory team--the highest echelon of industry backing. These remarkable achievements seem even more extraordinary because Fiolek was born profoundly deaf, a handicap that makes everyday life difficult . . . and competition on the track downright treacherous.

But Fiolek has never let her disability stand in the way of her dreams, nor has she allowed her gender to limit her career. One of the sport's most talked-about stars, she's changing the way the industry views women. Kicking Up Dirt is the remarkable true story of Ashley Fiolek's ride to greatness--the inspiring tale of a courageous young woman's determination to succeed in the face of truly challenging obstacles.

--Travis Pastrana, nine-time X Games gold medalist and host of Nitro Circus

Back Jacket

At nineteen, Ashley Fiolek is already the top female competitor in a tough men's sport: motocross, one of the most dangerous extreme sports in the world. Since going pro in late 2007, Fiolek has taken gold at the X Games, twice won the American Women's Motocross Championship, and become the first woman in American motocross history to be signed to a factory team--the highest echelon of industry backing. These remarkable achievements seem even more extraordinary because Fiolek was born profoundly deaf, a handicap that makes everyday life difficult . . . and competition on the track downright treacherous.

But Fiolek has never let her disability stand in the way of her dreams, nor has she allowed her gender to limit her career. One of the sport's most talked-about stars, she's changing the way the industry views women. Kicking Up Dirt is the remarkable true story of Ashley Fiolek's ride to greatness--the inspiring tale of a courageous young woman's determination to succeed in the face of truly challenging obstacles.