JOCELIN
It's just Jocelin, legally no last name and no middle name, and if you want that story, you'll have to catch me after a few beers, till then here is my life in a nutshell.
I grew up a little confused, not sure how to be tough and still be a lady. I was not sure if I wanted to be the Tom Boy making bow-and-arrows out of sticks, scraping my knees climbing trees, and playing with matchbox cars, or dressing up like a fairy princess in ponytails and bows. Once I turned 12 I figured it all out. I discovered motorcycles and realized you can play like a boy and still look like a lady. I'm not really sure what it was that turned me on to motorcycles. I think I was at a
phase in my life where I liked anything that went fast and anything my parents said I should not and could not have. I bought my first motorcycle (KDX85) with my paper rout money against my parents will. I paid a kid at school $10 a week all year until I had the bike paid for, then I took the school bus to his house where he taught me how to ride (kind of). The next day his folks dropped it at the end of my driveway. Anxiously looking out the 2nd story window I heard my mother
shriek and say "It's fluorescent green!?", then I knew I was good. I rode that bike every chance I got, that is, when it was not chained and locked to the garage floor for
punishment. At 16 I was an independent stubborn brat, moved out on my own and got a Ninja 250 street bike, which grew into a Ninja 750 (3 of them) and then I got really sick and caught an
awful fever...love sick that is, motorcycle love, and motorcycle fever. I wanted to race, so I did. I spent a year club
road racing and made pro one year later, to the day. Road racing to me was one of the greatest things I have ever done. It seemed like such a crazy, far fetched goal. It was like watching Nascar or pro baseball and thinking you could be there doing that, but then, you are there and you can hardly believe yourself. I have always believed in following your dreams. Of course being the only female in the 250GP (at the time) and living in a small town caused a lot of ruckus. Things went crazy, interviews, TV, 6:00 news, newspaper, magazines and radio shows. I got so swept up in the tornado of events, I sold my business, sold my house left my family and friends and fled snowy Maine to "Sunny California" to live the racers life. I felt like I was at a motorcycles anonymous meeting..."are motorcycles getting in the way of your job?" YES "do you wake up and first think if motorcycles?" YES "are you losing friends because of motorcycles?" YES "must you ride before you can sleep?" YES! YES! ...Of course two of the finest
ingredients in the recipe of racing, is DANGER and RISK. Well, a horrible crash at Daytona and another near death head on into the wall at Willow Springs pretty much ended
road racing for me. My walls of independence were broken down when I needed the help of friends for the months I spent in a wheelchair. I found new passion in teaching kids to ride, so I started a dirt riding school. This was an
important part of my life because it taught me about caring for others. I began to be a little less selfish and self-absorbed and realized giving to others felt so much better then anything you could possibly give to yourself. The school took off and I was no longer just teaching kids, but people all ages, and I was having a blast. Then, I opened up a motorcycle accessory shop for a guy who had some money to spend and I guess being exposed to all those motorcycle
enthusiasts, I caught the racing bug again. I continued to run the shop, teach the school, ride
a lot and race a little. This time it was anything on two wheels with a motor. Of course I crashed some more, adding more metal to keep my bones company. I did Flat Track,
TT, Motocross, Hare scrambles and Supermoto. This time I was riding for fun and I did not let it completely consume my life. Somewhere, I found a balance. I can be tough and still be a lady.
...Vanderkitten