Nevan Jayatilleke, Stewarts Melville College

They say he streaked through the sport like a comet... A yellow, green, and blue blur, blitzing across the track. 

Ayrton Senna is known today as a F1 legend. 

The Brazilian race car driver, who took the world by storm, not only cementing him in the F1 hall of fame, but in the annals of sporting history. 

His achievements echoed through time and still linger to this day. 

In Brazil, Senna is hailed as a hero, a god, because of his resilience, courage, persistence, and his faith... Senna's duty to his country made him one of the most influential people of his time.

Ayrton Senna da Silva was born on March 21^st, 1960, to a moderately wealthy family. 

His dad built him a mini go-kart at the age of 4, and Senna fell in love with it. 

At the age of 13, he rode a real go-kart and from then on won, every time! 

This was when he realised his passion for racing. 

As he got older he accrued more wealth and fame. 

Throughout his whole career, he won 3 F1 world championships and 41 Grand Prix's, further showcasing his brilliance.

He was unparalleled, no one could challenge Senna, although many tried: Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Michael Schumacher, but none achieved. 

Nowadays he is regarded as the best F1 driver in history. 

However, not every wonder-child has their 'Happy ending'. 

Senna would find that out soon enough...

The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix was held on the "Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari" racetrack from the 28^th of April to the 1^st of May. 

Ayrton Senna intended to compete. 

The race started well, he was picking up speed and was nearing the 1/2 lap intersect, when the worst happened... He lost control and went off the tracks, crashing into a concrete retaining wall at 233 km/h. 

The worst had been done... he was gone. 

Senna was rushed to hospital and the doctors did all they could. 

By the time they had removed him from the crash site, he had already lost 4.5 litres of blood from his temporal artery, which had been ruptured. 

At 16:40 GMT, on the 1^st of May 1994, Ayrton Senna da Silva was announced dead.

The world mourned, F1 wasn't the same after the incident, Brazil was shattered to the core and his family was left shocked...

...Maybe this story, DOES have a happy ending. 

It's not just about mourning for those who are gone but celebrating their achievements and continuing their legacy. 

Senna is now a legend, having countless films, documentaries, books and sporting honours, charities, and institutes, sharing his name.

What can we learn from his story? 

We can learn about his fearlessness, his desire to overcome hurdles higher than mountains. 

His ambition towards becoming something better. 

Most importantly, he taught us to give our everything, to be ourselves and never give up.