Jessica Patterson

Originally from Tallahassee, Florida, Patterson began riding motorcycles at the age of seven and qualified for her first Loretta Lynn's Amateur Motocross National Championship by age 12.^[2]

By the time she became a professional racer in 2000, Patterson had won 42 amateur championships.^[2] As a professional rider, Patterson went on to win the AMA Women's motocross national championship seven times starting in 2000.^[2] She appeared as a playable character in the 2002 motocross video game Freekstyle. In 2013, she announced her intention to retire from motocross competitions at the end of the season.^[3] She then won the last motocross race of her career to clinch the 2013 Women's motocross national championship.^[3] Her seven national championships are second only to the nine championships won by Mercedes Gonzalez.^[2]

After her motocross racing career, she competed in the Grand National Cross Country enduro championship as well as in Endurocross competitions before retiring in 2015.^[4]