El ejemplo de los ídolos

The example of idols

Yesterday morning I sat in front of the TV and turned on the broadcast of the F1 race, this time the British Grand Prix was on the calendar, which is usually held at the famous Silverstone circuit, once an airfield that was used during the Second World War, but when it fell into disuse, car races began to be held there around 1947. Originally the airfield had three runways that formed a triangular figure, something distinctive about the airfields of that time; the triangle can still be seen today from the circuit whose layout for F1 now has a different shape than its origins.

The broadcast began with images of the races in which Carlos Reutemann wrote part of the history of F1, it was a tribute from ESPN Latin America for the extraordinary Argentine driver who died exactly that day three years ago, and this was made known by the journalist Alejandro Tornello at the end of the video, visibly excited, he mentioned that he had begun his career specializing in the transmission and commentary of automobile competitions when the "Lole" began its participation in the great circus of F1.

I couldn't help but remember that I strengthened my taste for F1 thanks to Reutemann and in those years when the TV broadcasts were poor and sometimes frustrating, however, I got up very early on Sundays to watch him race, enjoy it at times and suffer with their poor performances in others.

The germ of the passion for motorsports in my country emerged much earlier, with Fangio and the Gálvez brothers, close enemies in TC racing who were emulated by a large number of excellent drivers once Fangio went to try his luck in Europe. And there in the old continent he slowly began to build his legend, the "quintuple", or the "chueco", as he is remembered in these latitudes, he formed the first group of great admirers of F1, later Reutemann affirmed it, although he was never able to be crowned champion. However, at all times, he left the impression of a correct, neat person, with a great sense of honor that led him not to hesitate to disobey an ignominious order, in his own words, if he had let Jones pass in that remembered race in Brazil. , he had to pack his bags and say goodbye to F1.

This made me see that in sports idols attract crowds, not only of spectators but also of young athletes who want to emulate them and, if possible, surpass them.

Here there were several examples that other great athletes later created in national sports, the spillover effect is often said.

Guillermo Vilas was one of them, thousands of tennis players who emerged later owe Willy for instilling in them the germ of tennis and not only the sport itself but also the passion for physical training, dedication, and effort. Gabriela Sabatini is also to blame for many women having passionately turned to the racket.

The teacher Roberto De Vicenzo started the goal without knowing it, and many young people later stood out on the world circuit, what to say Ginobili and the lionesses, today it is moving to see how women's roller hockey has grown throughout the country, a large number of girls and young people have their mirror in that team that has managed to enter and remain in the hockey elite for more than 20 years.

That is why those who have been touched by the magic wand of talent and the ability to excel in some sport have, without asking for it and in many cases without wanting it, an enormous responsibility to the young people who admire them and want to be like them.

Many athletes, I think a majority unfortunately, do not understand the meaning that their lives have in the lives of many others who admire them, they allow themselves to be tempted by luxury, extravagance, money, and, unfortunately, cheating, in any of their versions.

Athletes are human beings with their virtues and defects; however, they have an additional responsibility on their shoulders to perform correctly in their discipline, few understand this and what is worse, many are not interested in what their actions may lead to. provoke in others.