Jolene Van Vugt
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Jolene Joanna Van Vugt de gomez |
| Nickname(s) | Nitro Girl, Jo |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Born |
September 17, 1980 London, Ontario, Canada |
| Sport | |
| Sport | , supercross, , sky diving |
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Medal record
See: Career highlights
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Jolene Van Vugt (born September 17, 1980 in London, Ontario, Canada) is the first CMRC Women’s Canadian Motocross National Champion, first woman to backflip a full-sized dirt bike, holder of multiple Guinness World Records, and co-star of many motocross/stunt videos, and currently appears in the television show Nitro Circus.
Born to Dutch immigrant parents Bill and Tina Van Vugt, youngest to sister Michelle and brother Billy, Van Vugt grew up heavily influenced by her father Bill, a young at heart avid motocross racer, while her mother wanted her to become a figure skater or a ballerina. At the age of 11 Van Vugt convinced her father to buy her a dirt bike, after much debate about her commitment to her ever-changing hobbies.
At the age of 14 Van Vugt was given the ultimatum to either practice, race and take motocross seriously or give it up for good. Van Vugt chose to focus full-time on motocross and quickly rose to the top ranks of Canadian women’s motocross. Earning multiple Ontario Provincial Championships, a 9th place overall in the WMA (Women’s Motocross Association), earning her lifetime number 63. She also competed in many prestigious motocross events, such as the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National and the TransCan Canadian Amateur Grand National Championship.
From 2006 Van Vugt has been part of the television show Nitro Circus, originally a mini series broadcast by Fuel TV that became a full series broadcast by MTV in 2009. In 2012, she performed Catwoman's driving stunts in the film The Dark Knight Rises.
In September 2015, Van Vugt was seriously injured when attempting to do a ramp jump using a slingshot (a device used to propel bikes to high speeds in a short distance). The injuries required multiple reconstructive surgeries to her face and were expected to take months of recovery before she could perform again.
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