The Paintbrush Project (TPP) is a non-profit program working to improve the conditions of schools in the developing world.  TPP facilitates many projects aimed at promoting safe, clean, and effective learning environments.  Their goal is to empower children to use education as a tool in the fight against poverty.

http://thepaintbrushproject.org

Honda Red Bull Racing’s and two time X Games Gold Medalist and two time WMX Women’s Pro National Champion, Ashley Fiolek, is donating a custom Red Bull helmet and signed copy of her new autobiography “Kicking Up Dirt” as part of a fundraising campaign to support efforts of the Paintbrush Project (TPP). TPP is a non-profit program working to improve the conditions of schools in the developing world.  TPP facilitates many projects aimed at promoting safe, clean, and effective learning environments. Their goal is to empower children to use education as a tool in the fight against poverty. Initial focus will be on schools in Kenya, Africa.

To bid on the helmet and book go to the auction page and help support Ashley’s efforts to support the The Paint Brush Project.

Ebay auction will open August 31, 2010 and will close on September 9, 2010.

Excerpt from International Language of Pizza

“Last year I started going to Europe to race. I was racing with girls from all over Europe. Some spoke French some Italian, German…various different languages. There was not really a common language, so for the first time in racing I was not the “different” one. Everyone had to try and figure out different ways to talk to one another, but we did, and we all got along really well and had a great time together! I think being able to race and ride lets me express who I really am, and I am never held back in any way. If you have ever raced, you know what a terrific feeling it is and how free it can make you feel. I am lucky to be able to do it for my career.

When I was in France last year, I met a couple of fans who came over to me and started to sign. I thought I missed something, and I asked them to sign it again. Then I realized they were deaf like me and were signing in French sign language! I had no clue what they were saying, but at the same time I was thinking “Wow this is really cool!” I guess I just assumed signing was all the same..haha. But obviously it is not and I have a lot to learn if I want to be able to sign in France! It was also pretty cool to know that there are deaf French people out there who love motocross as much as I do!”

For the full story, check out Ashley’s column here!

After an incredible last lap win in last year’s X Games Women’s Super X final to capture her first-ever gold medal, Honda Red Bull Racing’s Ashley Fiolek was ecstatic to go for back-to-back golds at X Games 16 in the famed Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum this afternoon. Though archrival Jessica Patterson and the most challenging Super X course to date stood between her and the coveted repeat, Fiolek and her factory Honda were dominant in front of the enthusiastic X Games faithful!

Rocketing out of the gate and into a second-place start as the field of women rounded turn one, Ashley wasted no time as she quickly took over the lead early on lap one. Never looking back, Fiolek rode a near flawless race as she led wire-to-wire en route to her second-straight gold medal!  

“This feels so incredibly awesome right now,” Ashley commented just moments after the win. “Christmas has definitely come early for me this year. X Games is so fun… This entire experience is great, and I just couldn’t be happier right now. I really want to thank my team for all the hard work, and, of course, all of my supporters for cheering me on. Thank you!”

(c) Garth Milan

Excerpt:

Ashley Fiolek could not hear the comments when she stepped onto the Coliseum floor on Tuesday.

She did not hear her fellow motorcycle racers talk about how steep the drop is from the peristyle or how big the jumps will be.

When she lines up for Thursday’s 15-minute race in X Games 16, she will not hear the roar of her 250cc Honda motorcycle or hear the roar of the opening-day crowd of the four-day multi-discipline action sports event, either.

The 19-year-old from St. Augustine, Fla. is deaf.

“It’s crazy out there,” she said via sign language interpreted by her mother, Roni. “Supercross is a lot more mental. You have to flow and be careful, try and be a little more patient and wait for your chance.”

But being unable to hear seemingly is anything but a handicap. After watching one of her best friends, vert skateboarder Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins, win X Games gold last year, Fiolek went out and did the same thing in her first X Games.

“There are advantages and disadvantages,” she said of her handicap. “I have to hold my lines. I can’t move around until I’m sure there’s nobody behind me. But I don’t have distractions, either. I don’t hear people talking smack or people talking around me.”

For the full story, written by Keith Lair, click here.

Ashely Fiolek, makes her FUEL TV’s Firsthand debut this Sunday night.

Come hang out and watch the premiere at Mellow Mushroom in Jax Beach on Sunday, July 25th. Videographer for the Ashley Fiolek Firsthand segment, Matt Katsolis, will be there to answer questions once the show’s over.

There’s no cover and we’ll have Red Bull cocktail specials, FUEL TV giveaways, and live music throughout the night. The show starts at 8 p.m. but we’ll be there at 7! So, arrive early if you want to get a head start on the fun.

RSVP to the Facebook event here.

After coming off of a strong, and much-needed, win at the RedBud National over Fourth of July weekend, Honda Red Bull Racing’s Ashley Fiolek was looking to repeat at round number five of the 2010 WMX series in Millville, Minnesota on Saturday. Unfortunately, a first moto crash would put an early end to her campaign for the overall at Spring Creek MX, but Fiolek would throw down a gritty performance en route to second overall honors.

In moto one, Fiolek grabbed the holeshot as the pack rocketed down the start straight, and Red Bull-backed TLD/Lucas Oil/Honda’s Tarah Gieger would round out the top-three to conclude lap one. In usual fashion, Fiolek and series points leader Jessica Patterson battled hard in the early going, trading the lead back and forth on several occasions. Unfortunately for Fiolek, a slight bobble led to a tumble in the Millville soil while leading late in the moto, but she was able to remount and limp in for third place before all was said and done. Patterson inherited the win after the Fiolek crash, and Gieger cruised across the stripe for second in the moto.

Light rain would fall before the gates dropped for WMX moto two, but the Millville faithful hung tough to watch a drag race into the first turn between Fiolek and Patterson. Ashley narrowly snatched the holeshot, but Patterson snuck by during the exit of turn one to take over the lead. On lap number two, Fiolek took advantage of a Patterson crash to regain the top spot, and she went on to check out for an impressive 22-second win by the wave of the checkers. Able to remount and charge her way back up to second, Patterson hung on for the overall win with 1-2 moto scores. Ashley’s gutsy 3-1 performance resulted in second overall honors for the event.

The WMX series now takes a lengthy five-week break before returning for the Moto-X 338 National in Southwick, Massachusetts on August 28th. Ashley will use the break to focus on X Games 16 training where she will compete in Women’s Supercross.

It’s said that defending a title is twice as difficult as winning the first, and Honda Red Bull Racing’s Ashley Fiolek is learning exactly what that means in 2010. The first three rounds of the Women’s Motocross Championship series dealt discouraging blows to the confidence of the defending champ, as series rival Jessica Patterson had her number en route to six-straight moto wins.

Down, but certainly not out, Fiolek brought gritty determination, drive, and her infectious championship spirit into the gates at RedBud for round number four of the series, and went on to lead every lap as she triumphed to impressive back-to-back moto wins for her first overall victory of the season. After stepping off the podium, Ashley had the following to say in an interview with Red Bull:

Congratulations on your win today at RedBud. This has to feel amazing after finishing runner-up for three-straight events…

Thank you! Yes, it does feel incredible. Jessica is a great rider, but that doesn’t make it any easier to lose races to her. Today’s win is great for my confidence, so I feel like it’s a whole new series now.

You seemed to have a much easier go at things during the 2009 WMX series. What has changed this year that has made it so much more difficult to beat Jessica?

JP has been working very hard this year, and she’s not the type to give up. She’s the five-time champ for a reason, so I knew she was going to be very tough going into the series. I’ve been working hard, as well, but maybe I just wasn’t quite ready at the beginning of the year. I’ve been changing some things in my program, though, and I’ve been working really hard and have a lot of great people supporting me. Jessica is here for one reason, and she’s not going to give up. We’re the same in that sense… We’re both very competitive.

Physically, you’re smaller than she is, and the tracks have been extremely rough this year. Does that make it more difficult to beat her?

Yeah, I think so, but that’s just a part of it. It just means that I have to train harder. Being physically stronger might be an advantage to her, but I just put in the extra work and try not to think about it. No excuses. Today’s track was really rough, but I think I showed that I can still compete for the win. JP rode really well, too. I think we put on a good race for the fans, and more importantly showed that the girls can handle the rough tracks.

Have track conditions altered your training program at all this year?

I have added some workouts to my schedule, but in general I’m just trying to go back to basics right now. We tried a few new things in my program that really weren’t working out like I’d hoped, but I feel like we have a good combination now. It’s really important on these rough tracks to be prepared mentally, as well. You can’t just come in here and think you can coast, because it’s going to be a fight until the end. I felt really good today—despite the conditions—so I’m going to keep working hard and we’ll see what happens at Millville.

You’ve got X-Games coming up, as well. Do you enjoy that event?

Yes, I’m really excited! X-Games is a huge event, and it’s a lot of fun to be a part of! It’s really cool to be surrounded by all of the mainstream media and all of the other athletes. We don’t get that all the time at our normal events. Millville is kind of in the middle this year, though, so it’s going to be tough. Last year, we had a month to get ready for X, but this year it’s broken up. We’ll be training for motocross and Supercross all at once, so it will be a challenge, but I’m really looking forward to it.

You got hurt two years ago while preparing for X Games. Has that made you nervous to introduce Supercross training into your program mid-season, or are you more comfortable with the transition now?

I’m definitely more comfortable now, and a lot of that has to do with the trust I have in my suspension. The Honda Red Bull Racing team provides me with way better suspension than what I had two years ago when I got hurt. Last year, I didn’t even know how to do the triples heading into X Games, but I prepared for it, my bike worked great, and I was able to figure it all out come race time. I think it will be a little bit easier this year, but it’s still tough. At X-Games, we’re given a lot of practice time on the track, so that definitely helps.

You’ve been nominated for an ESPY for the second-straight year… That’s quite an honor!

It is… It’s really awesome! I was really shocked since I was nominated last year, as well, but it’s just as big of an honor—maybe bigger—the second time around. I think it’s really great for the sport of motocross, and I’m really happy for Ryan Dungey for getting nominated, as well. It’s great exposure for motocross as a sport, so I’m very excited to be a part of it again.

You still have four rounds left in the WMX championship series. What’s it going to take to get back into the title hunt?

It’s going to be tough, but I feel like I’m right there. Anything can happen in motocross, so you just have to put in your very best effort and see where the results fall. I think today proved that I have what it takes to win, so it’s all about getting up front and giving it my all. There’s still a lot of racing to do, but I like my chances [smiles].

After finishing runner-up behind series rival Jessica Patterson at the opening three rounds of the 2010 Women’s Motocross Championship series, Red Bull’s Ashley Fiolek broke the streak today at the RedBud National in Buchanan, Michigan, as she led every lap of the event en route to a perfect 1-1 performance!

Admittedly down in spirits after starting the series with three-straight second-place overall finishes, Ashley rolled into round number four at RedBud on a mission. Desperately needing a moto win to gain some much-needed confidence as the WMX series reaches the halfway point, Fiolek, aboard her factory Red Bull Racing Honda, nailed the first moto holeshot in textbook fashion. With series rival and current points leader Patterson nipping at her heels, Fiolek dug deep as she reeled off seven perfect laps to take the moto win.

When the gates dropped for moto two, Fiolek once again wasted no time as she rocketed into turn one with her second-straight holeshot. In what looked like a carbon copy of moto one, Ashley battled the rutted and brutally rough RedBud circuit just ahead of Patterson from the onset. Despite constant pressure from JP, Fiolek would not be denied the overall on this holiday weekend, as pure determination drove her to an impressive overall win—her first of the series!

The women’s championship series now takes a weekend off before returning for round five at Millville on July 17^th, but stay tuned for a full interview with Fiolek in the coming few days.

Ashley Fiolek was something special long before she turned pro, but when she did make the leap in 2008 her status as a motocross celebrity took off. She won the women’s motocross championship that year as a rookie and before the 2009 season began, Fiolek had signed the first Factory Honda contract ever offered to a woman. She repeated as champion in her sophomore season and won an X Games Gold Medal to boot.

Fully backed by companies like Red Bull and Alpinestars, Ashley began popping up on national news programs and making guest appearances on major talk shows. So why all the hubbub? Because Ashley Fiolek was born profoundly deaf. In a sport overwhelmed by sound, Ms. Fiolek relies on engine vibration and shadows to monitor her bike and competition.

FUEL TV has taken notice of Ashley Fiolek’s accomplishments as well, and on July 25th you can catch her all-new episode of Firsthand. For now, check out the full-length interview here.