There are many things about AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys contender Shayna Texter that are hard to replicate. Most would cite her incredible determination on the racetrack, her spearheading of the Red Bull KTM Factory Race Team effort, or for her record for most all-time wins in her class…but, frankly, what is most notable about Shayna is her relatable, personable and quietly witty demeanor that makes her a standout personality within the sport.

We recently caught up with Shayna while she settled comfortably back into her home in small-town Pennsylvania. She jokes about life with her fiancé Briar Bauman - the reigning AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance & Hines champion - and what they do to pass the time, stay in shape and keep sane during this unexpected respite from racing. 

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AFT: It’s been a surreal last few weeks. What have you been up to since the postponement of the season opener?

Shayna: Briar and I waited until the postponement of the first couple of rounds of the season to come home, once that happened we headed back north from Florida. We spent two months preparing, so the challenging part was trying to balance going home and continuing to stay on track with the training.

AFT: How is life in Pennsylvania since you two have gotten home?

Shayna: It has been a strange time to come home. We expected something familiar but came home to a completely different world in a sense. The stay-at-home order was in effect when we got here, and something like just going grocery shopping is a whole different experience up here. It has definitely been odd, but now that we’re home, we’ve just been continuing to train every day. Aldon (Baker) has us continuing our training seven days a week, and really it’s just to maintain our progress at this point, and we will amp back up closer to the first round of racing.

It’s been cold and rainy here lately, so we are looking forward to it getting warmer next week…I’ve got a lot of chores planned for Briar then.

AFT: You and Briar usually manage your own workouts, instead of going to the gym. What advice do you have for people struggling to stay fit while stuck at home?

Shayna: For riders in particular, you have to find the self-motivation and dig deep and realize that we were hired to be professional motorcycle racers. Unfortunately, since the gyms are closed, you have to be creative. Everyone in our country is having to work from home, so in a sense, Briar and I are too. All of us have to get creative with the tools we have at home, and make sure that when the time comes to return to racing, we are all ready.

For the fans at home, my advice is to just do some kind of work out and stay in a routine. Don’t miss a day. Even if it’s just 20 minutes of cardio, you’ll feel better just knowing you were getting up and being active and trying to stay healthy.

AFT: What do you think is a good basic cardio routine for someone just starting out?

Shayna: If you can get outside and go for a 25-30-minute walk or jog, that’s great…or go ride your bicycle for a little bit. If you just do that, you’ll feel so much better. For me, it just keeps me energized and positive about the days at home.

AFT: How have your eating habits changed since you’ve gotten some extra free time? Staying away from the junk food?

Shayna: Briar and I have been eating at home a lot because the restaurants aren’t easily accessible. It’s nice being home now and cooking for ourselves – we can only cook what we have at home, so it helps us to stay away from the junk food.

Briar is the one with a problem when it comes to junk food. And now, we have Max Whale staying with us, so between him and Briar, it’s hard to keep any food in the house.

AFT: What is Briar’s go-to junk food?

Shayna: Really, anything sweet…that’s the problem. Whether its chocolate, ice cream, cookies, brownies, the whole nine, he’s gonna eat it. We try to not have anything like that around the house, especially during the race season. If it’s in the house, he’s going to eat it. I made three and a half dozen cookies last week and he and Max ate almost two dozen before they were off the cooling rack. It’s crazy.

AFT: What’s it like being stuck at home, how do you pass the time?

Shayna: The days that it’s nice outside, we go outside and do yardwork. I love being outside and doing landscaping. I spend a lot of time out there. When it’s cold, I watch a lot of Netflix and do a lot of puzzles like everybody else. I also spend time cooking. Briar and Max have been spending a lot of time playing video games.

AFT: What games do they play?

Shayna: Call of Duty, Fortnite, and now they just got into the new Supercross game. They have been playing live against Bronson and Jarod Vanderkooi.

AFT: Who would win in a staring contest, you or Briar?

Shayna: Definitely me. Briar has way too many issues holding attention – he cannot focus on anything - he would definitely start smiling. Our dog Ogio would probably get us both though.

Briar, Shayna and dog Ogio pose on a Florida beach.

AFT: You are playing a game of Trivia at home. Who dominates which categories?

Shayna: Sports is definitely my category. My daily routine usually includes waking up and checking the ESPN app. My breath of fresh air away from racing is watching all types sports – especially Philadelphia sports and soccer.

Briar would dominate any questions about deer hunting, bow hunting…and Fortnite.

Now when it comes to Movie trivia, it depends. I would have Briar on Disney movie trivia, he would beat me on your classic “guy” movies like “Super Troopers”. Harry Potter would be 50/50. He didn’t even know what Harry Potter was until we started dating, and now he’s totally into it.

AFT: How do you two divide up the chores at home?

Shayna: We are like opposite of normal couples. I do all the outside stuff and Briar does more of the inside stuff…what people think girls would do. He does dishes, laundry, all that.

It’s funny, Max and I were outside today doing yardwork and Briar disappeared. When Max looked, he was inside on a “phone call”. He DID help by spraying some weeds, but I was busy hoeing, shoveling, etc.

Even when it comes to working on bikes, I will typically work on the bikes and Briar will help with the muscle it takes to change a tire, but as far as everything else, I can handle it on my own, so he usually stands back.

Undeniably excited, Bauman and Shayna pose for their first picture as an engaged couple.

AFT: What advice do you have for people who are learning to live at home with their quarantine partners?

Shayna: Briar and I are literally a team. We eat, train, shop, do everything together, so in that sense, we have practiced quarantining for years.

The biggest thing for everyone to know is when to give each other some space. He will go off and play video games, and I’ll go watch a movie. You have to know when to give each other some free time, because that’s what you’re used to when you go to work normally. That "me time" is important throughout the day.

Shayna recently said "yes" to her wedding dress for a ceremony due to take place in October.

AFT: So you have a wedding coming up in the fall. Do you manage most of the wedding planning, or does Briar have opinions about stuff too?

Shayna: When I started the quest of wedding planning, I had the goal to NOT be a Bridezilla. I wanted everyone’s input, and I definitely try to run everything past Briar and my closest friends, but at the end of the day, I’m the big thinker of it all. I think so hard about things, that when I am ready to pull the trigger, my mind is basically already made up. Luckily, 99% of the time, Briar thinks my ideas are great, so that’s easy…it might also be that he’s a little bit lazy too. But, really, we have been in sync with everything, so that’s been nice. He has liked almost everything I’ve picked so far.

He was really stoked to pick our catering company because they do most of our deer meat processing.

AFT: Last question. What one song do you absolutely NOT want to play at your wedding?

Shayna: Honestly, I can’t think of something I wouldn’t want to play, but something that I will need them to play, because it’s literally my favorite…I don’t know how the band is going to take it, but I will definitely want something by Eminem to play at the wedding. If you want to put a smile on my face at any time, play some Eminem. “Lose Yourself” is like my go-to song. Briar will put on Eminem just to make me smile.

I’m looking forward to a lot of those hype songs like Lil Jon’s “Get Low” and I also kind of hope that they sing “Barbie Girl” just so we can see my brother Cory break down to it.

I am also pretty terrified about having to dance at the wedding. Briar did shut me down when I asked to shorten our first dance, so I guess I’ll have to figure that out.

Well we cannot wait to see the photos from the big day, Shay. Thanks for taking the time to chat us up and for the laughs, we look forward to seeing you both at the Red Mile!