Background and career
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. 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. 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. 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 ninth 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. 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. 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.
2003 CMRC Ladies Ontario Provincial Champion TransCan Canadian Grand National Championship, Walton Raceway, Ladies 2nd CMX Canadian National Championship, Ladies 2nd WML Pro National Binghamton, N.Y. Round 5, 16th 2004 CMRC Ladies Ontario Provincial Champion TransCan Canadian Grand National Championship, Walton Raceway, Ladies 2nd CMX Ladies Canadian National Champion WMA Pro National Monster Mtn. AL. Round 4, 7th WMA Pro National Cohcoton, N.Y. Round 5, 7th WMA Pro National Steel City, PA. Round 6, 7th WMA Pro National Series 9th (Earning lifetime National #) 2005 First woman to backflip a full-sized dirtbike, ramp to dirt TransCan Canadian Grand National Championship, Walton Raceway, Ladies 2nd CMRC Ladies Ontario Provincial, 3rd WMA Pro National Glen Helen, CA. Round 1, 20th WMA Pro National Hangtown, CA. Round 2, 31st WMA Pro National ThunderValley, CO. Round 3, 15th WMA Pro National Washogual, WA. Round 4, 8th WMA Pro National Steel City, PA. Round 5, 11th WMA Pro National Series 16th 2006 CMRC Women's Canadian National Champion Setting a female backflip distance record, 60 ft ramp to dirt WMA Pro National Glen Helen, CA. Round 1, 16th WMA Pro National Hangtown, CA. Round 2, 18th Out for the remaining season due to surgery 2007 CMRC Women's Canadian National Championship, 2nd TransCan Canadian Grand National Championship, Walton Raceway, Ladies Champion First woman to backflip a dirt bike into Grand Canyon WMA Pro National Budds Creek, MD. Round 3, 15th WMA Pro National Steel City, PA. Round 6, 13th 2008 Guinness World Record for first woman to backflip a dirt bike Guinness World Record for longest female backflip CMRC Women's Canadian National Championship, 3rd WMA Pro National Southwick, MA. Round 5, 11th TransCan Canadian Grand National Championship, Walton Raceway, Ladies Champion First woman to jump at MOD FMX show in Austria 2010 First woman to backflip a full-sized dirt bike, ramp to ramp Nitro Circus Live, Brisbane, Australia, May 7
Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory (1 episode, 2009) Nitro Circus (2009) Nitro Circus Live (2011–2014) Ridiculousness (1 episode, 2016) Z Nation (1 episode, 2016) Jay Leno's Garage (1 episode, 2020) Barry (3 episodes, 2022)
Jackass Presents: Mat Hoffman's Tribute to Evel Knievel (2008) Nitro Circus: The Movie (2012) The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
