Out of the Blue | Mickayla Vollick | Brought to You by Schrader’s

Out of the Blue | Mickayla Vollick | Brought to You by Schrader’s

By Jensen Amyotte

Name: Mickayla Vollick

Date of Birth: October 6, 1999

Hometown: Stoney Creek, ON

Occupation: Full time farmer 

Race Number: 276

Bike: CRF 250r

Race Club: AMO, Steel City, Triple Crown

Classes: Ladies A, WMX

Who/what inspired you to get into the sport of motocross and how long have you been racing/riding? 

My dad got me into dirt bikes. Growing up on a farm we had lots of toys but I always stuck with horses and my brother was the motorized sports kid until one day my dad made a bet with me that I could probably beat the boys at the local club… I went, raced, beat some boys and I was hooked ever since. I think I’ve been racing for 8 years now. 

When not on a dirt bike, how do you keep yourself busy? Are you involved in any other sports or extracurricular activities?

I stay very busy farming when I’m not on a bike. We recently just had a pit bike track done by Vision Built so now I spend even more time on a bike just half the size. Lol I also spend a lot of time hanging with my many pets! 

As a racer, are there any obstacles you feel a female racer has to deal with that maybe a male racer does not?

I feel like women’s motocross is often overlooked. Everyone always wants to come to watch the guys but there are some seriously talented women riders. I also feel like it’s harder to get the help needed to go far as a woman in motocross, like not as many sponsorships or rides for the females that you see with the men’s. It would just be cool to see more girls getting under the big tents with the boys! 

From your first ride to where you are now, what is something you never thought you would be able to overcome but have?

Getting out of my own head. Sometimes, I still struggle to get out of my own head when I’m on the gate, but I’m way better at telling myself to just relax, ride my best, and have fun!

What is your favourite track and why?

I love Gopher Dunes and the deep sand. So many people don’t like Gopher because they think it’s too hard to ride but I like that it’s technical to ride, it pushes me to work harder and I think I ride my best when I’m on deep sand tracks. I also enjoy that it’s more forgiving if I crash. Haha

Do you have a pre-moto rituals?            

I have a particular pair of cow print moto socks that I like to wear on race day.  

Tell us about your 2022 race season.  

2022 was a wild ride. We went to opening day at Gopher Dunes in March and kept going back for a few weeks and I felt really good. Shortly after farming season hit full force and I was off the bike and in the planters for a while so when the WMX rounds came to the east I was in my head and not riding my best due to not having a lot of time on the bike since the beginning of the season.

At Walton One my battery gave out in the second moto and I didn’t get to finish the race before heading to Gopher where I came last. There’s a picture of me in ‘Faces at the Races’ at Gopher and the caption had something to do with me being last. A little embarrassing. Lol

[Editor’s note: We sometimes mention the “Lanterne Rouge” like they do in bicycle racing.]

Then at Sand Del Lee I was finally feeling better and out of my head having a great first moto, but with one lap to go another girl’s rear tire pinched my foot into my frame and I ended up with 3 fractures in my foot. I was super bummed I had to miss out on the last 3 rounds and TransCan. But I think the time off did me some good because when I got back on I felt better than before and my lap times and riding really improved. 

What are your biggest accomplishments to date?

I think winning the 2018 Hamilton indoor supercross. It was a crazy night my whole Steel City fam was there cheering me on and some how I won it. People still come up and talk to me about how wild and intense that night was! 

What is the biggest lesson that motocross racing has taught you so far?

To just go for it. You don’t know until you try. Don’t let the fear hold you back because you are better than you think! 

Are there any females out there who you feel have paved the way for other girls to be successful in motocross or off road?

Yes! Jordan Jarvis really stands out to me. She’s putting in the work to race the AMA outdoors and she’s also awesome to watch ride. I’m sure many little girls see Jordan and hope to be as talented as her one day! 

What kind of track/dirt do you feel you excel at most and why? 

Soft, sandy dirt I don’t panic as much, I just feel more comfortable. As soon as I see a hard pack, rutty track I freeze up. Only the last year I’ve slowly started to get better with big ruts thanks to the push from the WMX class because Walton ruts are no joke. 

If you could give 1 piece of advice to a female of any age who wants to start riding, what would it be?

Don’t be scared and put in the work. We all have to start somewhere! 

What was your first fear when you started riding and how did you overcome it? 

Doing the big jumps! Some look really scary but once I took the time to get better in my riding skills the jumps just came one day…occasionally I just have to tell myself to just get it done and luckily my boyfriend is always with me so if I’m really struggling to get over it I ask to just follow him off the jump. Usually after I do it I think how silly I was being scared because it was easier than I was expecting.

Do you see yourself ever competing in the Canadian WMX Triple Crown series? 

I already do, so I just hope I can stay out of my head and keep working towards improving so that I’m better than what I brought to the 2022 race season in 2023. Lol

What are your thoughts on the Canadian WMX Triple Crown series?

I think it’s really good and I know the Triple Crown team, along with some of the women racers and their family members, are doing lots of hard work to keep improving the series for all the WMX racers. 

What do you like to do in the off season? 

After moto and harvest season we like to relax and catch up with friends. We try to go down south once or twice and I recently got a Peloton so I can stay in shape at home during the winter months.  

Who would you like to thank? 

I would first like to thank Jensen and DMX for doing these articles and giving females a spot to shine. I would like to thank my family for allowing me to be away from our farm so often so I can do what I love! And of course my boyfriend for always being my riding buddy/coach/mechanic every weekend on top of having to do his own bike work.