Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘Senna’ revisiting the incredible nuances in the life and career of legendary Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna da Silva, we get a biographical drama miniseries unlike any other. That’s because it delves deep into not just his professional experiences but also his personal endeavors and the way they shaped him to be who he eventually became — a cultural hero. It, hence, comes as no surprise there is significant mention of his family too — he was actually the middle child, with elder sister Viviane Senna as well as younger brother Leonardo Senna.
Ayrton Senna Hails From a Tight-Knit Family
Although it’s unclear precisely when Neyde (or Neide) Joanna Senna da Silva first came across Milton Guirado da Silva, we do know they had fallen in love and tied the knot by the late 1950s. After all, they welcomed their first child, Viviane Senna da Silva, on June 14, 1957, followed by Ayrton Senna da Silva on March 21, 1960, and finally Leonardo Senna da Silva a few years later. The couple knew they had completed their family at this point, so they subsequently dedicated all their energies to raising their brood in such a way they had all the opportunities in the world.
However, since they were affluent, Neyde and Milton were also careful not to spoil them by instilling values of hard work as well as togetherness into them from a relatively early age. This actually worked wonders for them as it enabled all three of their children to develop true compassion and empathy, which, in turn, helped them keep their heads high following Ayrton’s fame. Not once did the Senna da Silvas ever have to worry about infamy because the way they were raised and the unwavering sense of support always among them kept them on the right path.
Viviane Senna is a Woman of Many Hats
As the eldest of the Senna da Silva children, Viviane has essentially been the backbone of the family ever since her beloved younger brother Ayrton passed away in a fatal crash on May 1, 1994. The truth is she has a degree in Psychology from the Pontifical Catholic University in São Paulo, along with significant experience in the field, yet she chose to keep it aside following 1994. That’s because she and her first-born brother had discussed establishing a charitable organization to help create opportunities for young kids in their homeland a mere two months before his death, so she wanted to turn it into a reality to keep his legacy alive.
The Institute of Ayrton Senna (or Instituto Ayrton Senna) was thus established by the driver’s family on November 20, 1994, with Viviane Senna Lalli serving as its President from day one. Since then, through extensive training of nearly 130 thousand educators, it has grown to benefit roughly 3.3 million students in 900 cities in 26 states across all regions of Brazil every single year. According to reports, this organization helps the youth by researching and developing new knowledge in cooperation with businesses, governments, municipalities, schools, universities, and NGOs.
We should also mention that this Clinical Psychologist has not only worked with adults and children in the past, but she has also supervised training sessions for different groups of therapists. As if that’s not enough, through her business as well as philanthropy, she is the only Brazilian member of the Adult Friends of the World’s Children’s Prize group, alongside big individuals like Queen Silvia of Sweden and former South African President Nelson Mandela. Moreover, and more importantly, this board member of several public as well as private organizations is also a happily married mother of three — she tied the knot with Flavio Lalli in 1996 before welcoming Bruno, Bianca, and Paula into this world. Her son Bruno had followed in his uncle’s footsteps and is a former Formula One racer.
Leonardo Senna is the Man Handling His Brother’s Brand
Although little information regarding Leonardo’s background and personal experiences is clearly available as of writing, we do know he has been managing the Senna brand for a few years now. In other words, he is behind all deals that relate to the likeness of his elder brother Ayrton, his career, their last name, or anything related to them — it’s a big business, and he is handling it beautifully. Coming to his current standing, while he is a true native of São Paulo, Brazil, he also has Italian blood from his mother’s side, driving them to recently attain Italian citizenship, too.
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