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Debbie began her industry career working in the parts department at a dealership and within a few years became one of the motorcycle industries first female Parts Managers. Debbie gained experience in sales, marketing, shipping, management and advertising and was promoted to General manager. In 1984 she opened a highly successful Motorcycle Accessory store.A successful off-road Amateur and Professional competitor, Debbie was Nationally ranked as the number 2 Amateur racer in the country in 1976, and turned Professional in 1977. Debbie quickly advanced earning multiple top 5 National rankings as a professional and earning a coveted National title in 1988. Debbie's finished 5 times in the top 5 Pro's Nationally during her career, as well as 4 times as a vet pro, and 3 times at the coveted Ladies World Cup. She also holds the AMA record for the longest consecutive pro and amateur career span in Women's Motocross competition (26 years). In addition Debbie holds the record for top 15 Women Professional National rankings in motocross finishing inside the top 15 national pro women in the country every year from 1977 to 1997. (20 years!!)In 1981, the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) District 37 honored her, for her dedication to motorcycling. In 1982, she was chosen to represent the United States of American in at the Tokyo Supercross in Japan. In 1998 she received the AMA MVP award for her contributions to enhance female participation in the sport. She also was a keynote speaker at the inaugural AMA National Women in Motorcycling Conference in 1997 speaking on in women in competition. In 2000, Debbie was invited by the AMA to be a member of the advisory committee for the Motorcycle Hall of Fame and Museum and to conduct a Motocross school and off road motorcycle demo during the 2nd annual AMA Women in Motorcycling conference. In 2001 Debbie was invited by the AMA to be on the 2002 Women's Conference Advisory Committee and conduct WSMX schools, offroad motorcycle demonstrations and an invitational Women's Motocross event !Debbie has been featured regularly on multiple television, radio, newspaper and magazine articles spanning her career which include, Speedvision, Motoworld, ESPN2, ABC Wide World Of Sports, NBC, TNN, KTLA, FOX, Sportstalk, Hear me roar, Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, Buena Park News and numerous industry and internet publications which include: Racer X, Cycle News, AMA Magazine, Motocross Magazine, Motorcycle Dealer News, Motorcycle Industry Magazine, American Woman Motorscene, Open Road Radio, Freshdirt.com, Women's MX News magazine, MotoNews.com, and many others . Debbie is also an accomplished writer with columns in several printed and online magazines as well as a new book entitled Excelling Through Adversity.In 1994, The U.S. Women's Motocross Team (later known as the Women's Motocross League) contacted Debbie to assist in the development of the team as their Promotion/Race Director. Within a year, Debbie became co-director of the TEAM effort, and later Co-Founded the WML. Under the TEAM/WML umbrella, Debbie developed and created the first ever-Free Women Only Motocross schools taught by men professional champions Doug Dubach, Mike Kiedrowski and Greg Albertyn. She also promoted the Ladies World Cup events from 1995 -1999. In addition she Co-created the first Women's Stadiumcross Championships with the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group in 1995 and the WML/AMA National championship Series in 1996-1999. In 1997, she met with members of the AMA congress to ratify changes in the constitution recognizing a women's "A" rider classification for the first time in history. With the growth of the women's market now firmly established, Debbie retired from the WML in June of 1999 to dedicate herself to the promotion, marketing and teaching of women's motocross full time. The result is DMSports-WSMX, Inc.Debbie is also active in her church where she serves as an advisor to the youth. She regularly gives presentations at hospitals and local schools on Career Day on Motorcycling as a career. Debbie is also an instructor for WSMX riding schools, specializing in learn to ride to advanced training. She enjoys family, rock climbing, camping and jet skiing in addition to her other activities.As many of you know, my passion is racing. Not just any racing, although you would be hard pressed to find those who know me not emphatically shout, just how competitive I am in everything I do. My passion is Motocross !! But it's more than just a passion. Dare I say, an obsession ??? To say I live it is an understatement. With 27 years of racing, endless nights working in the garage splitting cases, finding just the right combination, workouts, mountain bike rides, crashes, bruised egos, shattered bones and confidence, euphoria in winning a championship, despair in losing, fear of failure, failure, politics, huge crowds, motocross schools, teaching, consoling, educating, lobbying, mentoring… all have shaped me into the person that I am.I've had many memorable experiences. Some were painful, some humorous, some euphoric, and some outright stupid. Some of my more embarrassing experiences: When….brimming with confidence, we wheelie down pit row, only to hit a patch of mud, slide out of control and crash in front of the entire pits during a National.Another lesson came after successfully teaching a motocross school for women. I decide to call it a day. The women, whom I have just trained and successfully gotten them to complete a double they wouldn't have dreamed of doing only a few hours before, ask me to do the double. I declined, saying I'm tired and head towards the pits. On the way, ???I think Hey, why not ?? Yeah I'll go over there and just speed double it. Heck, I'll be hitting it two gears higher then they did. Yeah, it will be cool. SO,I spun around and hit the jump wide open in fourth gear. Yeah, BIG AIR !! This looks cool. Just as I smiled to myself, I realize with sickening clarity that I got big air, only it's straight up and not out. I realized, Iam coming up short, because you failed to do what I taught only moments before. I realize that yes, I'm going to make a big impression, just not the one I planned on. The bike hits and rebounds so hard that it flips over landing upside down 35 feet further down the track than the initial impact.I try to ride a few days later but I am so sore from the impact, I call it a day after 45 minutes. It just hurts too much to ride. But before I pack it in for the second time, my students woo me over to the double. There they meet me and cheer as you roll through the double, only to look over and see a big sign posted on a tree proudly proclaiming this as "Debbie's Double" with the riders all holding up score cards with the number 10 on them.I love racing. I love the excitement. The rush. Living on the edge. Making split second decisions that decide whether I win, lose, or crash. If we are honest with ourselves, this is probably why we all race. Each race is different with new challenges. New faces, different conditions, your mental state and those of your competitors changes. You plan, but along the way come surprises. You must adapt quickly. Analyze the situation, make changes and decisions quickly. These learning experiences make us risk takers and help us to excel in life and in business. We are not afraid to hang it all out, because deep inside we KNOW that we can do it. We are the adventures, explorers, and inventors of the past generations.Winning is an all-consuming passion that involves hard work, dedication, sacrifice, endless hours in the gym and at the track. A single mind, with one goal, CHAMPION. This is still true, although I have come to realize that winning comes in many forms. Yes, I won a National Championship. Yes, I hold the record for the longest pro and amateur career for women in Motocross. Yes, I have an AMA MVP award. Yes, I have helped shape our sport and blaze the trail for women who wish to compete. And yes, I have paid the price.Winning to me now, still involves sacrifice, dedication, long hours and hard work. Winning to me now is being able to get up every morning and be successful in raising my family. Winning to me is being able to still ride although not as fast or stylish. Winning to me now is finishing a moto without getting hurt and going out for pizza after the race with my racing buddies. Winning to me now is helping others experience the joy and confidence that riding offers. Winning to me is making a difference.Winning means evolving. Rising up to meet adversity head on. Winning means picking ourselves up when we fail, dusting ourselves off and going forward. It means never giving up, despite the hand we are dealt. This is winning. No, I may never do a triple again. But I can teach. I can give back. I can mentor, I can be an example.After 27 years in competition, I am still competing. Although getting around a track is a lot harder on the knees now, I am still out in the trenches, busting down doors, meeting with people who can make a difference, schmoozing, politicking, educating, lobbying, all for the evolution of the sport. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a pioneer in the sport. To have the opportunity to make a difference. For the opportunity to stand up and say I love to ride ! From those who know me best, I wouldn't bet against me. The word NO, or CAN'T simply never made it into my vocabulary.Years from now, trophies will be broken, our names and accomplishments largely forgotten, but the impact that will remain is in our contributions to those around us. How we evolved and changed the lives of those around us. Did we help them reach their full potential? Did we give them a glimpse of who they really are and what they can accomplish? Did we recognize our own potential and evolve to our own personal potential of greatness?As a woman in a predominantly male sport, we sit on the cusp of Evolution. Due to the efforts of many, Women's Motocross is beginning to ride into the big time. The road has been long and perilous. Many have scoffed, but still we raced. Many laughed, but still we raced. Many have tried to derail the women's movement in the sport, but our passion was too great to be denied. Such is the case with me.So here I still am. Waist deep in the trenches, shouting to the world, YES, women you can ride, just go do it. To those who came before, and those who are blazing the trail as we speak, THANK YOU for your dedication, passion and love for the sport. It is because of your sacrifice and dedication we stand poised to finally be accepted as professionals in the sport. We are not there yet, but that evolution is coming, and soon.
