TerraceMaria learns to lead her new life every day. Two years ago, everything changed: he lost his 21-year-old sister in an accident at the Vidrieiro Rally in Portugal. It was the first race where they were rivals, the first time they lived an experience of that magnitude. The blow was too hard to keep competing and he decided to banish the world of motorsport from his life. Since then, he has once again sporadically ridden in a competition car, but only for leisure and to satisfy the cuddle that occasionally manifests itself. On those few occasions, the pain reappeared and the bad memories became more vivid than ever. Now Maria has managed to keep the ghosts at bay, to the point that she has gone one step further and competed again.
Maria left the world of rallies in 2020. She and her sister Laura had been together long enough never to face each other, both from the co-driver’s seat. The Vidrieiro Rally in Portugal was its premiere. Each with its own pilot. In the first section of the route, Laura’s car left the track. “It collapsed about 500 or 600 meters from the start of the first section,” authorities said after the accident. “She was trapped, and the assistance services responded almost immediately, as they were very close. Resuscitation maneuvers were successfully initiated. The helicopter was activated and she was transferred, already stabilized, to the area. landing, about 200/300 meters from where it was, “they added. Despite the duties of the medical services, however, when Laura arrived at the hospital she was unable to overcome the injuries resulting from the accident and died.
Then everything turned black. Maria did not know how to move forward, but sport became her refuge. With new sporting challenges he came out of the pit where he had fallen relentlessly. This year has one of the biggest challenges an athlete can set himself: being an ironman. The Barcelona edition in October is marked in red on the calendar. Now, moreover, he has managed, with a lot of effort and struggle, to get back in the car and compete.
It was time to go back
Maria’s eyes light up, this time in a special way, as she looks at her car. Surrounded by people, greeting each other, she always glances at her Toyota. M. Saved printed on the rear windows. Everyone present gathers around the car: they take their seats, lift the hood and look at the logos of the various brands on the plate. Many sponsors have wanted to support this new project, and also the Valencian co-pilot. His story goes beyond sports and everyone wants to be a part of this new step forward in his life.
“It’s the biggest challenge I’ve had this year. Ironman in Barcelona was my main challenge this year, but with this new opportunity I have a huge one. It’s to return to a world where I’m sure we’ll do very well and we can to do great things again “, says Maria in a full dealership and next to Sergi Francolí, her pilot. In his Toyota, however, there will always be three. “I always have my star in mind. I hope [la Laura] be proud of this project. I’m really excited to be back in the car, because I know that’s what she would have wanted, “said the co-driver, recalling her sister.
“I think I’m ready, but I don’t know 100%. I wanted to be in a project where I was comfortable, where if I saw that I couldn’t, I could stop. The team and Sergi know my situation and I don’t rule out that, in any moment during a race, I get excited and remember everything that happened, “explains Salvo. “I’ve been working hard with my psychologist to get to this point. I feel like I can do it. I was really missing it and when the opportunities come you can’t pass up. You never know how life will go and when it comes to you an opportunity like that, you have to take it and choose ahead “, he remarks. The first date on the calendar is this weekend. “We’ve known this for a very short time and I think this little advance helps me deal with it much better,” says Maria excitedly. Life has taken a lot of its toll on him, but sport has gradually helped him to be able to gas again.
