This browser does not support the Video element.
MILWAUKEE -- Elena Myers was under contract to race motorcycles when she was 13 years old! She's been called the "Danica Patrick" of her sport, though she owns more wins than the famous race car driver.
They call Myers "Trophy Girl" -- and with good reason! The Californian made history in 2010 as the first female to win an American Motorcycle Association Pro-Racing Sprint Road Race.
That's not all -- last March, 18-year-old Myers became the first woman to win a professional motorsports race of any kind at Daytona International Speedway.
"It's definitely helped get some respect from everybody, especially the other riders. I think that's definitely the most important respect that you can have, knowing that your competitors know that you're competitive, and they know you're going to be there week in and week out," Myers said.
Myers is a little lady with a big heart -- standing 5'3" and weighing 116 pounds. Myers says when traveling at speeds approaching 200 miles per hour, fear is not a word in her vocabulary!
"I've been riding for so long, so I think I'm gaining a lot more of these instincts as I ride more and as I mature more as a rider. I would say it takes a lot of courage to do what I do, but I've just been doing it for so long and I love it. I mean, going 180 miles an hour is something I'm not scared of," Myers said.
Myers was into motorcycle racing when many of her peers were just getting comfortable on a bicycle.
"My dad introduced motorcycles to me when I was only eight years old, and I had quite a passion for it then. My dad's been kind of a motor-head for most of his life, so he figured that it could be something that he and I could do together. Sure enough, 10 years later, I'm out here racing professionally," Myers said.
How did she handle a 350-pound bike?
"A lot of it is technique because most of the top riders in the World Championship are no bigger than me. They're not these huge, muscular guys," Myers said.
Myers lives to race motorcycles. She loves the challenge. Then, there's the rush.
"I've always loved roller coasters. When I was five or six years old, I was the one with my hands up, going down the scary part of the ride, with my parents holding on for dear life, so I've always been drawn to the adrenaline and speed," Myers said.
Myers is living the dream, and though she's smart enough to think ahead, she says she's enjoying the moment.
"I'm always thinking, 'man, I just want to be out there riding!'" Myers said.
When Myers isn't racing motorcycles, she's taking classes at a community college. A love for golf slows her down if only for a second!