Fallen Ashlee Sokalski #316

James

Staff member
Even though Ashlee wasn’t a member on our forum, she was our friend on Facebook. Our deepest condolences go out to the Sokalski family & friends. Ride In Peace #316

James



28449_1140133040057_1729375212_259609_8285821_n.jpg


Here's her page http://ashleesokalski316.webs.com/



News Articles:
examiner.com
19 year old Motocross racer Ashlee Sokalski was severely injured after a terrible accident in day two of racing at the 29th Annual AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships in Hurricane Mills, TN. The Michigan racer, who has been competing successfully in the sport since she was 12 years old, had just celebrated the excitement of qualifying for the national event's prestigious Senior Women's division out of over 20,000 competitors vying for those coveted spots. The annual championship event has been held at country music singer Lorretta Lynn's ranch since 1982.
Ashlee was completing a jump when family suspect her motorcycle's brakes locked up while airborne, causing her to crash when she landed. Upon impact, she was thrown from her motorcycle, which ended up bouncing back and landing on the fallen rider.
"Ashlee's a fighter. This is the race of her life. You can just hear Ashlee saying, 'Just give me two more laps, I can do this. Just give me more time.'" Ashlee's mother Tanya Burgess told hometown Chesterfield media Monday from the hospital.
Both of Ashlee's parents were present with their daughter as she was brought into the series trauma trailer. A trauma nurse and a paramedic respectively, they both aided in their daughter's critical care on-site. However, weather in the area prevented medical crews from being able to airlift Ashlee to the trauma unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in nearby Nashville, TN. She was first taken to a local hospital for care before arrangements were made for her transfer to Vanderbilt, a travel delay of 2 hours.
Doctors are saying that Ashlee's injuries include a torn right lung, six broken ribs, skull and possible neck fractures and a closed-head injury. The full extent of her head injuries have not yet been determined. Two surgeries have been completed to stop internal bleeding. The latest reports coming from doctors are that her kidneys have begun to fail and that dialysis is being considered.
Ashlee remains in the Vanderbilt ICU on breathing /life support devices, unconscious. She has displayed positive movement by moving her head and flexing her limbs, a sign family hopes indicates that she will continue to make a recovery.
Sokalski's 17 year old sister, Amanda, is staying busy between flights to see her sister and organizing support efforts to aid in her care. Also a fellow racer, she's familiar with the dangerous aspect of the sport.

"We just hope that everyone keeps her in their thoughts and prayers, and we're going to continue to do everything we can to help her fight this." Amanda said over the phone today.
A website has been set up by friends of the Sokalski family to organize support efforts for Ashlee and to keep the public updated on her condition. Donations can be made directly through PayPal.com to carrie130j@yahoo.com. There will be support stickers, t-shirts, and other merchandise available for purchase to benefit Ashlee's recovery in the coming days.
examiner.com
The family of 19 year-old motocross rider Ashlee Sokalski made the difficult decision last night to pull Ashlee from life support after doctors told them there was nothing further they could do to save her.
Ashlee was competing in her second race at the 29th Annual AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship in Hurricane Mills, TN when she came down after a jump and was thrown from her motorcycle, which ended up bouncing back and landing on top of her.
Doctors at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in nearby Nashville, did everything they could to help the young lady, who was the fastest woman competing from her home state of Michigan. Early Tuesday morning, Ashlee's kidneys failed and her condition continued to deteriorate through the day.
Fundraising efforts will continue to aid the family through this difficult time. Donations efforts and memorial events continue to be announced on Ashlee's webpage.
The family has not yet announced funeral arrangements for Ashlee.
 
Yes this is very sad, read about it this morning. Somewhere I read that she is the only girl to qualify for Loretta's this year from Michigan.
 
God Speed Ashlee! This breaks my heart. So young and beautiful. I think of my Son riding MotoX who just turned 20. Everytime he goes out the door to ride I worry. I just tried to show this to my son and he got all snotty and mad and said "i dont want to hear it or see it Mom!" I get that. I dont like it when people come up to me and start telling to to be careful and about how many people they know who have died riding motorcycles, it bugs me too. But as a parent, I just cant help but say something to my Son because I NEVER want to be in Ashlee's parents shoes, I dont think there is anything worse. Then part of me thinks why did I say something to him? To scare him? Is it going to make him more careful? Is it going to make him more lucky? Is he is going to stop riding? No. But as a parent I was moved and couldnt help it, out of my fear and love for him.
 

James

Staff member
....Son riding MotoX who just turned 20....I just tried to show this to my son and he got all snotty and mad and said "i dont want to hear it or see it Mom!" I get that......Then part of me thinks why did I say something to him? To scare him? Is it going to make him more careful? Is it going to make him more lucky? Is he is going to stop riding? No. But as a parent I was moved and couldnt help it, out of my fear and love for him.
:thumb: You're his mom you're supposed to care and don't ever stop caring, but it doesn't mean he'll like it or want to hear about it. Look at me, I hate talking about this stuff, but I do care, just as he probably does to. The main reason I don't like talking about is because I consider it a distraction, you've all heard of the saying "A distracted Soldier is a dead Soldier". I think that sort of applies to MX to. So far I've been unpleasantly surprised with what a lot of people have said to me over my one little broken bone (Clavicle). So when I do start :ride: again I'll be thinking about what everyone said. And it won't make me a safer rider, it will make me a distracted rider. :noidea: Make sense?
 
:thumb: You're his mom you're supposed to care and don't ever stop caring, but it doesn't mean he'll like it or want to hear about it. Look at me, I hate talking about this stuff, but I do care, just as he probably does to. The main reason I don't like talking about is because I consider it a distraction, you've all heard of the saying "A distracted Soldier is a dead Soldier". I think that sort of applies to MX to. So far I've been unpleasantly surprised with what a lot of people have said to me over my one little broken bone (Clavicle). So when I do start :ride: again I'll be thinking about what everyone said. And it won't make me a safer rider, it will make me a distracted rider. :noidea: Make sense?


Yes it does. I hear it SO MUCH when Im on my street bike. People spilling terrible stories about their friends or family members crashing or passing away, and from people I dont even know WHILE Im on the bike! Distracting thoughts and visualization can play a major role in riding and safety. Sometimes it irritates me so much I cut them off and say "yes, I know and it doesnt help me to hear this when Im riding."
 
my take on it is this.

we are all dieing anyway. no one is gonna live forever so you might as well live your life the way you want and do the things that you want to do. I constantly hear things like ohh this or that is dangerous and you shouldn't do it but guess what .... taking a shower is dangerous as well. I know a guy who actually lost his wife when she slipped in the shower and fell. PBK prolly knows who im talking about. anyone of us could get into a car today and get T-boned by some drunk and thats that. So one should not worry about things like crashing a dirt bike or whatever else it is you love to do in fear of death. some of you might know but i almost lost my life as well so i try to live my life to the fullest.

Dont get me wrong tho sure its sad that this young girl lost her life doing what it is she loved. She is way too young to die but i know a few people that passed away in high school and they were NOT doing what it is that they loved to do.
 
:thumb: You're his mom you're supposed to care and don't ever stop caring, but it doesn't mean he'll like it or want to hear about it. Look at me, I hate talking about this stuff, but I do care, just as he probably does to. The main reason I don't like talking about is because I consider it a distraction, you've all heard of the saying "A distracted Soldier is a dead Soldier". I think that sort of applies to MX to. So far I've been unpleasantly surprised with what a lot of people have said to me over my one little broken bone (Clavicle). So when I do start :ride: again I'll be thinking about what everyone said. And it won't make me a safer rider, it will make me a distracted rider. :noidea: Make sense?

Makes lots of sense...Kendall Norman (I think is his name) who races Baja, etc. said that he doesn't think of crashing even though he/they travel at such a high rate of speed. He was implying without saying directly was..."if you worry about "what may happen" you've lost..."

That's hard for a parent to swallow no matter what...it IS a parents worst fear...even though I didn't race my mom wouldn't even come watch me "ride"...I understood (at 13) and gave her her space!
 
my take on it is this.

we are all dieing anyway. no one is gonna live forever so you might as well live your life the way you want and do the things that you want to do. I constantly hear things like ohh this or that is dangerous and you shouldn't do it but guess what .... taking a shower is dangerous as well. I know a guy who actually lost his wife when she slipped in the shower and fell. PBK prolly knows who im talking about. anyone of us could get into a car today and get T-boned by some drunk and thats that. So one should not worry about things like crashing a dirt bike or whatever else it is you love to do in fear of death. some of you might know but i almost lost my life as well so i try to live my life to the fullest.

Dont get me wrong tho sure its sad that this young girl lost her life doing what it is she loved. She is way too young to die but i know a few people that passed away in high school and they were NOT doing what it is that they loved to do.

Makes lots of sense...Kendall Norman (I think is his name) who races Baja, etc. said that he doesn't think of crashing even though he/they travel at such a high rate of speed. He was implying without saying directly was..."if you worry about "what may happen" you've lost..."

That's hard for a parent to swallow no matter what...it IS a parents worst fear...even though I didn't race my mom wouldn't even come watch me "ride"...I understood (at 13) and gave her her space!


Travace - Amen! That's right...I forgot for a minute you died. That just sounds weird! Prospective.....prospective! It is all how we look at it. We can either embrace adventure and the risks that come with it living FULL lives or we can live in fear with EMPTY lives. That's just one prospective. You ask a bookworm and they will tell you their life is very full, but I would disagree with exciting:smirk:

Kendell is right and that is also part of visualization as well. You dont want to think negative or picture negative. I have had that problem sometimes riding when I come to an obstacle that I start doubt or become fearful of, rather then picture how I will or can do it, I picture what may happen, this:prof: IS NOT what you want to do. The more I stand there starring at the obstacle the worse it gets I noticed. Too munch time to fill my head with doubt and fear rather then not stopping at all and trusting and allowing the positive flow and energy of a smooth ride to more then likely carry me through it (in most cases:smirk:) This happens a lot also when I watch several people go down ahead of me in their attempts. Especially when it's guys, I think well if THEY cant do it how am I going to do it? Silly me! The same way they did :lol:
 
Top