Jessica Patterson is an American former professional

motocross Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom. History Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...

and

enduro Enduro is a form of motorcycle sport run on extended cross-country, off-road courses. Enduro consists of many different obstacles and challenges. The main type of enduro event, and the format to which the World Enduro Championship is run, is ...

racer. She competed in the

AMA Motocross Championship The AMA Motocross Championship (commercially known as Pro Motocross Championship) is an American motorcycle racing series. The motocross race series was founded and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in 1972. The series is ...

s from 2000 to 2013. Patterson was one of the most accomplished female racers in the history of AMA motocross, winning 7 national championships.

Early life

Originally from

Tallahassee, Florida Tallahassee ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of and the only incorporated municipality in Leon County, Florida, Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Fl ...

, Patterson began riding motorcycles at the age of seven and qualified for her first Loretta Lynn's Amateur Motocross National Championship by age 12.

Career

By the time she became a professional racer in 2000, Patterson had won 42 amateur championships. As a professional rider, Patterson went on to win the AMA Women's motocross national championship seven times starting in 2000. She appeared as a playable character in the 2002 motocross video game ''

Freekstyle ''Freekstyle'' is a 2002 motocross racing video game for the PlayStation 2, GameCube and Game Boy Advance. There are four levels of gameplay: the circuit, a quick race, freestyle, and free run. The game features an assortment of real-life Freest ...

''. In 2013, she announced her intention to retire from motocross competitions at the end of the season. She then won the last motocross race of her career to clinch the 2013 Women's motocross national championship. Her seven national championships are second only to the nine championships won by Mercedes Gonzalez. After her motocross racing career, she competed in the

Grand National Cross Country The Grand National Cross Country Series is an American motorcycle racing series. The off-road race series was founded by Dave Coombs in 1975 and is sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA). The competition is similar to motocr ...

enduro championship as well as in

Endurocross Indoor enduro or SuperEnduro which is also known by Endurocross shortened Enduro-X or EX, is a hybrid motorcycle competition, a mix of supercross and enduro racing held indoors over obstacles resembling a Motorcycle trials, trials track.Christne ...

competitions before retiring in 2015.

References

Living people Sportspeople from Tallahassee, Florida American motocross riders Enduro riders Female motorcycle racers 21st-century American sportswomen AMA Motocross Championship National Champions 21st-century American women Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-motorcycle-sport-bio-stub