This week, I flew down to St. Augustine, Florida, to interview 18-year-old Ashley Fiolek, one of the coolest young athletes I’ve met in a long time. I don’t want to spoil the story, which will be out in The Mag in May, but it was fascinating learning how Fiolek, who was born profoundly deaf, adapted to a sport so dominated by sound. And she didn’t just adapt. She became the best female motocross racer in the country—before graduating from high school.

We spent the day at her St. Augustine home, where she lives with her mom and little brother Kicker and then hit the local track so I could watch her ride. Fiolek may be the size of an Olympic gymnast (Nastia Liukin is an inch taller!), but she looks a heck of a lot bigger hitting tabletop jumps and throwing dirt as she’s tackling the corners. She looks minature, however, when she is simply sitting on the bike. It swallows her whole.

JOHN AND JIMMY GETTING THE SHOT. JOHN AND I LAST WORKED TOGETHER IN GITMO AND JIMMY APPARENTLY THROWS THE BEST 80’S PARTIES IN ORLANDO …

THE GAL CAN RIDE (EVEN ON A TRACK THAT HADN’T BEEN WATERED SINCE THE 80’S) …

HANGING WITH MY NEW FAVORITE DIRTBIKE RACER (MAN, SHE’S TEENY) …

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Also, speaking of amazing people, last week was also St. Patrick’s Day. In honor of said holiday, a foundation called St. Baldrick’s holds head shavings around the country to raise money and awareness for children’s cancer research. Volunteers pledge to shave their heads, and then raise money via donations. The weekend before St. Patty’s Day, the volunteers gather at one of the official St. Baldrick’s locations and, one by one, have their mops buzzed away.

Two of my friends, Tammy and JT, were part of this selfless group of folks. They drove to San Francisco to turn in their nearly $4,000 in donations and rid themselves of every hair on their heads. Pretty freaking awesome. Tammy, it turns out, looks dang good in a blue wig. Demi, eat your heart out.

TAMMY AND JT, POST DO-GOODING …