Dinner with the stars - Ayrton Senna
Autor: Valmir Diaz | Publicado: 2013-06-15T14:59:00-03:00


The&nbsp;other&nbsp;historical
figures&nbsp;will have&nbsp;to&nbsp;forgive me, but&nbsp;certainly&nbsp;if
I&nbsp;had&nbsp;the opportunity to choose&nbsp;one&nbsp;for
dinner,&nbsp;&nbsp;would be the racer&nbsp;Ayrton&nbsp;Senna.&nbsp;He&nbsp;was
born&nbsp;in 1960&nbsp;and died&nbsp;in&nbsp;1994,&nbsp;six months&nbsp;before
my&nbsp;birth.&nbsp;Despite&nbsp;his numerous&nbsp;accomplishments&nbsp;on the
tracks,&nbsp;what&nbsp;fascinates me&nbsp;are&nbsp;his actions&nbsp;as&nbsp;a
person,&nbsp;always&nbsp;showing that everyone are the same&nbsp;and&nbsp;can
achieve their&nbsp;dreams&nbsp;regardless
of&nbsp;their&nbsp;social&nbsp;position.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Senna&nbsp;never
saw&nbsp;racing&nbsp;as&nbsp;a&nbsp;job,&nbsp;but as&nbsp;something
that&nbsp;was&nbsp;part&nbsp;of him, that&nbsp;completed him so he was
always&nbsp;worried about&nbsp;the improvements&nbsp;that&nbsp;could&nbsp;be made&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;dangers,&nbsp;that
not&nbsp;only&nbsp;him&nbsp;but&nbsp;all the riders were exposed to. He was
also always waving Brazilian flag, as a sign that, even that his name was
worldwidely famous, he continued proud of being Brazilian. Ayrton&nbsp;once&nbsp;went
to visit&nbsp;his&nbsp;fellow Rubens Barrichello
who&nbsp;had&nbsp;crashed&nbsp;and
had&nbsp;to&nbsp;be&nbsp;hospitalized,&nbsp;but&nbsp;doctors did
not&nbsp;allowed him&nbsp;to enter. Then&nbsp;the&nbsp;driver&nbsp;jumped&nbsp;over
the wall&nbsp;of&nbsp;the hospital
and&nbsp;said&nbsp;that&nbsp;security&nbsp;should&nbsp;be strengthened!



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Even before&nbsp;his&nbsp;death, the
pilot&nbsp;had already&nbsp;planned&nbsp;an&nbsp;institute&nbsp;or&nbsp;foundation&nbsp;that
would provide&nbsp;the necessary support&nbsp;for&nbsp;poor children,
believing&nbsp;that&nbsp;the future of Brazil&nbsp;would be&nbsp;improved &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;if&nbsp;good education&nbsp;was
guaranteed.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Ayrton&nbsp;Senna&nbsp;Institute came&nbsp;to
fruition&nbsp;at the hands&nbsp;of&nbsp;his sister,&nbsp;Viviane&nbsp;Senna,&nbsp;who&nbsp;has
led&nbsp;the project&nbsp;with the same&nbsp;vigor&nbsp;of the racer.



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
It would be&nbsp;wonderful if&nbsp;he were still alive,&nbsp;because&nbsp;nowadays&nbsp;people&nbsp;no longer care&nbsp;for his neighbors, even&nbsp;with&nbsp;their families.&nbsp;There’s a lack&nbsp;of the&nbsp;desire to&nbsp;help&nbsp;those in need, without&nbsp;wanting&nbsp;recognition&nbsp;or&nbsp;even&nbsp;money&nbsp;in return.&nbsp;Lack&nbsp;of&nbsp;initiative&nbsp;to pursue dreams&nbsp;and&nbsp;hope to&nbsp;accomplish them.&nbsp;Lack&nbsp;of confidence&nbsp;in people&nbsp;and&nbsp;in their own potential.&nbsp;Ayrton&nbsp;loved what he&nbsp;did, but&nbsp;first&nbsp;he believed&nbsp;that he was good at it&nbsp;and&nbsp;that he could somehow&nbsp;make&nbsp;a&nbsp;difference.&nbsp;He really had&nbsp;the characteristics of a&nbsp;true&nbsp;leader&nbsp;and&nbsp;faith&nbsp;that&nbsp;something bigger&nbsp;than&nbsp;him,&nbsp;loved him and&nbsp;would always be&nbsp;by his side.&nbsp;This&nbsp;was&nbsp;Ayrton&nbsp;Senna, racer,&nbsp;historical figure, my&nbsp;idol.








&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Valmir Dias