Name the professional athletes you respect the most and why.

These are two athletes from the same sport, Formula 1.

The first is Ayrton Senna, for me, one of the best drivers in the history of Formula 1. I watched a documentary about him, and the first thing that impressed me was his strong belief in God. He regularly read the bible. The other thing that struck me with awe is his complete dedication to this sport. As an experienced driver and pilot, he sought to enhance the sport and make it safer. In 1994, before the San Marino Grand Prix took place, he expressed in a meeting with the authorities of Formula 1 his concerns about the track’s safety and proposed solutions, but they were ignored. Tragic irony is that he lost his life in the final of San Marino’s Grand Prix 1994. He was leading the race but crashed into a concrete barrier.

Senna was not the only one who died that weekend. A day before, in the qualifying, the Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger also had a deadly crash, and another serious collision happened that weekend.

The other driver I respect and admire is Michael Schumacher. He also dedicated himself to this sport, utilizing his knowledge as a driver and car mechanic. Notably, Schumacher completed an apprenticeship as a car mechanic. Like Senna, he lived for the sport of Formula 1; precisely this is what I respect so highly about him—devoting himself entirely to the sport he loved. It was not only about making money; both drivers made a lot of money, but they stayed humble and made numerous donations without any special uproar. Furthermore, specifically regarding Schumacher, he stayed away from this celebrity lifestyle, which was on the rise in the 90s. He preferred a silent private life with his family and friends.

For me, these two are the embodiment of true sportsmen who risk their lives for the sport they love.

_{©image: Graffiti de Ayrton Senna i Michael Schumacher.jpg, wikimedia commons}