Jolene Van Vugt (born September 17, 1980) is a Canadian motocross rider. She 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.[1] She also appeared in the television show Nitro Circus.
Born in London, Ontario to Dutch immigrant parents Bill and Tina Van Vugt, the youngest of three children, Van Vugt grew up heavily influenced by her father, a young at heart avid motocross racer, while her mother wanted her to become a figure skater or ballerina.[2] 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.[1]
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. She earned multiple Ontario Provincial Championships, a 9th place overall in the WMA (Women's Motocross Association), and earned 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.[1]
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.[3]
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.[4]
