B = Bia Figueiredo
C = Carlos Acosta
What is / was their ambition?
- B: to be a Formula One driver
- C: to reach the final of the Prix de Lausanne
To what extent have they achieved it?
- B: She is competing in the Brazilian Formula Renault Championship.
- C: He won the Grand Prix and the Gold Medal at the Paris Ballet.
What challenges have they faced?
- B: chauvinism, money problems, time constraints when she was studying
- C: prejudice (boys don't do ballet), fighting and teasing from boys at school. He was brought up in a rough suburb in Havana.
Who has helped them achieve their ambitions? How?
- B: her father - he has both encouraged and financed her ambition; her mechanic and mentor. He has coached other great drivers.
- C: his father - enrolled him in the National Ballet School. When the school threw Carlos out, his father went to speak for him, and pushed him to stay with ballet as a good career. His teacher, Ramona - she 'persevered' with him.
Other information
- B: She has a forceful personality, and believes in herself. She was very young when she fell in love with motor racing. Her father told her to wait until she was seven to learn to drive. Naylor believes Bia is comparable to his other protégés, such as Rubens Barrichello.
- C: At ten, he was mixing with delinquents - his father thought he might end up shooting someone. His father would have liked to take up ballet, but didn't have the opportunity. Carlos didn't understand ballet at first, but later realised he was very good at it - in spite of missing classes. He says ballet was his 'destiny'.
