Stefy Bau
Encyclopedia
Stefy Bau is a former Motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...

 and Supercross
Supercross
Supercross is a motorcycle racing sport involving off-road motorcycles on an artificially-made dirt tracks consisting of steep jumps and obstacles. Professional supercross contest races are held almost exclusively within professional baseball and football stadiums.-History:Supercross was derived...

 racer but due to a career-ending injury, she is now the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme is the governing body of motorcycle racing. It represents 103 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regional continental unions....

 Women's World Motocross Championship General Manager. While racing professional Motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...

 and Supercross
Supercross
Supercross is a motorcycle racing sport involving off-road motorcycles on an artificially-made dirt tracks consisting of steep jumps and obstacles. Professional supercross contest races are held almost exclusively within professional baseball and football stadiums.-History:Supercross was derived...

, her nickname was the Female G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time), in reference to Ricky Carmichael
Ricky Carmichael
Ricky Carmichael is a racer known for his success in Motocross. He is currently competing in NASCAR. He drives the #4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado for Turner Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series and the #30 Chevrolet Impala part-time for Turner Motorsports in the Nationwide Series...

.

Her national used to be number 211. 211 was the first number that AMA assigned her when she turned pro amongst the men in January 2000. Stefy was able to create her number into a marketing symbol so much so that AMA itself started selling her image along with her number on t-shirts at the AMA national races and with that under her belt, she helped other athletes to understand the importance of marketing themselves.

Early life

Stefy started riding dirt bikes at 4 years of age. In 1983, only 6 years of age, she entered into her first race finishing an impressive 3rd place. After that first race, Stefy began a winning streak that lasted her whole first year of her racing career.

Career

In 1986, Cagiva
Cagiva
Cagiva is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It was founded in 1950 by Giovanni Castiglioni in Varese, originally producing small metal components. It went into the motorcycle industry in 1978. The name is a portmanteau derived from the founder and the founding location, i.e. CAstiglioni GIovanni...

 decided to build a prototype bike for Stefy; an identical copy of David Strijbos
David Strijbos
Dave Strijbos is a Dutch former motocross F.I.M. world champion.Strijbos was one of the top competitors in the 125cc motocross world championships in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He finished second in the 125 world championship in 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1992. In 1986, Strijbos won the 125 world...

's. In that year, Stefy dominated the circuit by winning every single race she had entered.

Stefy raced mini bikes up until 1990 finishing a staggering top 5 in every national championship she entered up until that point.

In 1991, at the ripe age of 14, Stefy began racing with bigger bikes. That year is the year Stefy won her first FMI (Federazione Motociclistica Italiana) Italian Women's Motocross Championship. From then on, Stefy won 7 of the 8 FMI (Federazione Motociclistica Italiana) Italian Women's Motocross Championships.

In 1992, Stefy made her first imprint onto US soil by arriving at Perris Raceway in California to compete at the unofficial first ever Women's World Cup. Stefy's goal was to beat 1992's "Fastest Women in the World", Mercedes Gonzalez and conquered that goal.

In 1995, Stefy won the Campionato Italiano UISP Motocross Amatori, now known as UISP Trofeo Italia Motocross. In that same year, Stefy simultaneously raced several races in the Italian Sport Production Championship on board an Aprilia
Aprilia
Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle company, one of the seven marques owned by Piaggio, the world's fourth largest motorcycle manufacturer.Aprilia started as a scooter manufacturer, but has more recently come to be known for its race-winning sportbikes...

 125 with Team Tino.

Stefy continued her dominating streak in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 in 1996 by winning yet another FMI (Federazione Motociclistica Italiana) Italian Women's Motocross Championship, though this time it was different because in this year, Stefy also raced downhill mountain bikes in the Downhill Mountain Bike Italian Championship with the factory team Olympia Downhill Mountain Bike. After a few races, the Italian Cycle Federation asked Stefy to represent her own country during the Downhill Mountain Bike World Championship.

1997 was a big year for Stefy. In Italy she turned pro in motocross and rode for the team Yamaha Belgarda Franco Picco adding another FMI (Federazione Motociclistica Italiana) Italian Women's Motocross Championship under her belt.

1998 was a year the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 saw a reappearance of Stefy Bau. She competed in the unofficial Women's World Cup (in conjunction with the AMA
Ama
-Ama:Ama may refer to:*Ama , an outrigger used on sailing boats*Ama , traditional Japanese divers*Ama , a product of digestion...

 National Outdoor Championship) held in Binghamton, NY at Binghamton. Stefy triumphed the competition but results show she finished in 2nd place because of a technicality; "passing on a yellow flag".

Stefy Bau is in two video games available on PlayStation 2 called: Freekstyle
Freekstyle
Freekstyle is a motocross racing video game for the PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo Gamecube. There are four levels of gameplay, the circuit, a quick race, freestyle, and free run.-Courses:Race courses...

 and Supercross 2000
Supercross 2000
Supercross 2000 is a racing game for the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation based on the motorbike racing sport of supercross. It was released at the end of 1999 by EA Sports, and includes campaign and multiplayer modes, as well as a "free play" feature for practicing tricks, similar to many other trick...

.

Personal life

Stefy Bau currently resides in Tallahassee, Florida and Milan, Italy with her fiancee Julie Keates.

Highlights

Honors

2008 requested as “motocross expert” to FIM bi-annual meetings

2005 Honorary PhD in science of communications following the participation at the male World Motocross championship event in Italy

2000-2004 Only woman to held a male professional motocross license

2002 Women’s National Motocross Pro champion

2002 Character in Freekstyle videogame (Blockbuster hit)

2001 Awarded best World female extreme athlete at the NEA awards in Germany

1999 Women’s Motocross World Pro Champion

1999 Women’s National Motocross Pro Champion

1998 1991 seven time Women’s Italian Motocross Pro Champion

Firsts

2008 appointed Manager for the Women’s Motocross World championship

2005 First woman to participate at a male World Motocross event (Italy round)

2005 First woman motocrosser to be featured on Italian national economic magazines following the participation at the male World Motocross event

2005 First woman motocrosser to have extended features on the most prestigious Italian national sport newspaper, “La Gazzetta dello Sport”

2003 First woman invited to compete against pro motocross male racers in Qatar

2003 First woman professional female athlete to be featured on CNN Arabia

2002 First woman in motorsport to have a replica/signature helmet sold worldwide

2001 First woman invited to compete against pro motocross male racers in Japan

2000 First woman motocrosser to participate to a National TV show on USA channel about female extreme athletes

2000 First woman motocrosser to be invited to a TV talk show in Orange County, CA.

2000 First woman motocrosser to be featured in 2 Play Station videogames (Supercross 2000 and Freekstyle)

1997 First woman to win a national amateur male motocross championship in Italy

1986 First girl to enter and win a children’s amateur National male motocross championship in Italy

1983 First girl to enter and win a children’s amateur regional male motocross championship in Italy

Public outreach/teaching

2008 Invited as a guest speaker “motocross expert” at the FIM congress, in Durban South Africa

2008 Founder of 211 international MX school

2007 Motocross coach

2007 Motocross schools in South America

2007 Founder of 211 Trips – the Ultimate experience for the motocross fan. www.211trips.com

2007 Invited guest to the Italian World Men Motocross championship round.

2006 volunteer for the Road to Recovery – company that helps injured riders.

2006 invited speaker to a chiropractic promotional dinner in Tallahassee

2000-2007 Motocross teacher reaching young girl that want to learn how to became a motocross athlete

2003-2005 Mentor for up and coming motocross female athletes – Ashley Fiolek

2001 Invited speaker to an elementary school in Philadelphia

2001-2002 Invited guest speaker at Toys for Thoughts motorcycle ride in Philadelphia

2000 Invited speaker to the National conference of Women on motorcycles

2000-2005 invited speaker to local news TV stations prior to racing weekend
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