Lawyer Maria Grazia, who met three times champion in 1992 and was at the track when he died, visits the Instituto Ayrton Senna.
Maria Grazia is a lawyer who lives in Italy, where she was born, but speaks Portuguese with great fluency. A language she learned motivated by passion for an idol, who on Wednesday, would have 52 years: Ayrton Senna .
When she was a law student dream of her life come true: to know the three times world champion. The moment she recalls fondly, and that changed her life. Two decades later, the relationship of Mary with the Senna family devotion goes further. She becomes engaged in social projects to help in the education of Brazilian children.
It was a particular test of McLaren. I was very excited, I could barely speak. He was very attentive, noticed the dress I wore, made with four Brazilian flags. It seemed like a dream – the lawyer says.That was just the first of some opportunities that she had to personally see the triple champion. On one occasion, when Senna was on Italian soil for an award, she approached asking remembered the meeting in Monza. In describing the dress that Maria wore, he showed why he was easy to remember the fans.
In 1994, when the category came to Imola for the San Marino GP, she had made friends with some Italian journalists and could, on occasion, go to the press room. Vantage point for those who wanted to know every detail about the pilot, who sought the world’s fourth championship. However, an accident early in the race, the Tamburello curve, took the life of Ayrton. A shock to all who were present at the circuit, through the lack of precise information about their state.
Nobody knew what was happening. I saw the screen of Ayrton accident, head movement, and hoped that nothing had happened. I ran to the press room and stayed there because I thought it was the best place to get information. The news of his death came through a ticket that a friend journalist gave me. It’s exciting to remember it all – Maria confesses that all these years she comes back to Imola to leave flowers for the pilot.
Dedication to social projects
After the loss of Senna Maria started to work on social projects and knew of one in Fortaleza, Ceara, sponsored by an Italian organization. And so she joined the Operazione Lieta, a charitable association that helps boys and girls of the Children’s House of Itaitinga in a low income community. There, they receive an education strengthened in order to be able to become professional in specific courses. Some go to Italy to study at the end of the school.
source: © globoesporte.globo.com by Alexander Grünwald
