I have been racing now since the Fall of 1995. Since then, I have met many people at the races and even acquired some fans. My number one fan would have to be my husband Sylvan, he loves to see me go out on the track and kick some butt and he loves to scream and yell. But this year I have obtained yet another fan, and this is a very special one that I call, my favorite fan.
Her name is Katlyn Janey, she is an eleven year old girl who loves to watch me race. I met her earlier this year in Kahoka, Mo, after meeting her two younger brothers Dylan and Jarin, they had both been riding in the 50cc class. Her father DeWayne and mother Gloria, own and operate Windmill Landscaping in Center Point, IA. As the temperature outside became warmer, Katlyn and her mother began to come to the races, and that’s how we met.
Katlyn is an intelligent and energetic girl who unfortunately is mostly dependent on using a wheelchair or a walker to get around at this time. She is however, starting to walk with the assistance of forearm crutches or someone holding her up. And she can crawl like a champ, but this tends to wear holes in the knees of her pants and has created some pretty tough calluses on her knees. Since she is unable to totally control her muscles, she also has some difficulties speaking clearly. But she doesn’t let these disabilities get in her way, she is very outgoing and doesn’t allow people to do too many things for her. I can’t always understand what she is saying, only because I lack sign language skills and have not been around her long enough to learn how she pronounces all words. But when in doubt, I ask her mother and she translates for me.
When Katlyn and I first met, I was in my riding gear. From the body language she was giving me (her mouth open, jaw dropped, and eyes wide open), I could tell that I was the first woman she had ever seen racing motocross. She was kinda in a daze for a second, it was as if I were some superstar to her. She has seen her brothers ride and goes for rides herself in a sidecar that is attached to her mother’s Harley Davidson. So she has been and still is involved with motorcycles in one form or another. I could feel a connection between us, she would smile and be happy when she would see me. And that made me feel good, knowing that someone looked up to me like that. I’m sure it’s sometimes frustrating for her to find friends her age, kids tend to make fun of people and not know how to react to kids like her. I think she’s great, and I have taken it upon myself to learn how to communicate with her, be her friend, and be the best role model for her that I can be.
At every race she looks forward to seeing me, and I also look forward to seeing her and her big smile. When I broke my collar bone earlier this year, Katlyn and her brothers hand made get well cards and sent them to me through the mail. They were so neat and very detailed, they cut out pictures of motorcycles from magazines that had number eleven on the number plate. Or they would draw number eleven on the number plate, at the time, I was using number eleven. I was surprised to receive these, and it sure made my day. I even put the cards in my scrapbook for safe keeping, so I can reflect back on them someday. Katlyn asks me all the time how my collar bone is doing, she does this by pointing at her collar bone. Her mother told me that Katlyn had broken her collar bone a few times as a result of falling, so she knows exactly how it feels.
Quite often, I give Katlyn a toy that I got with a kids meal that I had purchased. It’s like Christmas for her every time I bring her a toy. Her brothers sometimes get jealous because they didn’t get anything, but I remind them that they get to ride and race and she doesn’t. It’s her turn to be the center of attention, and she lets her younger brothers know that it’s her toy. And she seems to enjoy telling them “NO!” and having complete control. I get a kick out of it, and it makes her feel special too.
One of Katlyn’s favorite things to do is to draw. I once gave her some scrap paper from my school notebook to draw on, it kept her occupied for some time. I got the idea to make her an activity kit for the races. So I collected coloring books and other odds and ends laying around our house that my husbands children never used and have grown old enough to not want to use. I also found an activity book at Walmart on the clearance shelf and I threw all of it in a backpack that I also bought at Walmart for $3.00. She strapped it to the back of her wheelchair, and she used it so much that she wore it out in no time. She also likes to come over to my trailer and draw on my pit board. She likes to be able to erase in a big hurry sometimes.
When Katlyn’s brothers are up in the staging area or on the start gate, both parents are helping them prepare for the race. So I usually find her sitting up by the fence towards the starting gate, and sit with her to keep her company. She likes to have me around when she is by herself, she gets to let loose. She giggles and laughs, and she has a great time. I call her the “Wild Child” and she cracks up, she likes to just let it out and she doesn’t care what anyone thinks. She really has fun when I pop wheelies with her wheel chair and pretend she’s on a motorcycle. She holds my hand too, I think that’s pretty neat that she thinks of me, and feels safe around me. I think that she just likes being a kid and she enjoys all of the attention that I give her , after all, I’m just a big kid.
Katlyn’s birthday just happens to fall on Fathers Day. Her father DeWayne said that she was his father’s day gift. This year, we just happened to be racing in Waterloo, IA the night before her birthday, so we all celebrated it at the races. Unfortunately , it rained, but we stood around their trailer as we watched Katlyn open her presents inside. She was pretty good about not asking to open her presents, until the races were almost done. Most kids would be begging their parents all day and night. She had several gifts, and was having fun tearing the wrapping paper off of them. I happened to get her a racing jersey of her own, that way she could feel even more a part of the sport. She wears it to the races regularly, it is somewhat of a treasure to her.
As you can tell, this little girl is very special. I’m very proud to be one of her friends, and somewhat of a role model to her. Someday, I hope that she is able to ride motorcycles, or do whatever she wants without being restricted. She truly is my favorite fan, and the coolest eleven year old girl that I know.