Three years ago, Filipino race car driver Bianca Bustamante found herself deep in the doldrums. The Covid-19 pandemic had forced much of the world to its knees, and she was hit hard.
"It wasn't even just about my career. My parents were out of work because of the pandemic. We didn't have any money, we had debts, and we struggled to eat three meals a day. We were just relying on the government. I couldn't even finish my studies," says the 19-year-old.
Racing - a burning passion since her father put her in a go-kart when she was three - could no longer be part of her life.
"I felt as though my whole life had been taken from me," says Bustamante, who had been winning karting championships since the age of five.
In her darkest hours, a helping hand reached out. Veteran Canadian-Hong Kong driver and multiple Macau Grand Prix winner Darryl O'Young - whom she first met when she was 11 and had won a karting event in China he sponsored - noticed she had been strangely quiet on social media.
O'Young, who also owns a management, marketing and public relations agency, took her under his wing - and her life changed.
Fast-forward three years, and Bustamante is now the first female driver signed to McLaren's prestigious driver development programme, which counts her idol Lewis Hamilton among its graduates.
But that's not all. Bustamante is also one of just 15 drivers in the F1 Academy, a new championship under the Formula One umbrella that is dedicated to nurturing female motor racing talent. This weekend will see her showing her mettle in Singapore in the F4 spec race.
"Darryl is my mentor. He taught me everything I know," says Bustamante on the sidelines of a fireside chat in Millenia Walk organised by sports nutrition brand Optimum Nutrition.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 22, 2024 من The Straits Times.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 22, 2024 من The Straits Times.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
The many sides of library pioneer Hedwig Anuar and other authors
Those who know the National Library's former director Hedwig Anuar, 95, as a pioneer of Singapore's library system or women's rights activism will glimpse a different side of her in her newly published early writings.
Chef Jamie Oliver pulls children's book after indigenous criticism
British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver (right) has announced he will no longer sell his children's book, after coming under fire for what indigenous critics called \"erasure, trivialisation and stereotyping\".
Dua Lipa cancels Indonesia leg of tour over unsafe staging
British-Albanian singer Dua Lipa has cancelled the Indonesian leg of her Asian tour, citing unsafe staging.
Actress Sheila Sim undergoes hair transplant procedure to fix 'prominent bald spot'
Local actress-model Sheila Sim is feeling less stress over her tresses after undergoing a two-day hair transplant procedure.
Blackpink's Lisa keeps it short and sweet at Marquee
Below disco balls and flashing stage lights, Lisa from K-pop girl group Blackpink made a glittering appearance in the early hours of Nov 10 at Marquee Singapore nightclub in Marina Bay Sands.
Invisible Habitudes returns to Singapore stage with stronger cohesion
After almost six years, choreographer and The Human Expression (T.H.E) Dance Company's founding artistic director Kuik Swee Boon's Invisible Habitudes returned to the Singapore stage, with a mix of original cast members and new performers, but surprisingly with an even stronger sense of cohesion.
Tech Talks foster conversations around technology and storytelling
The Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) continues building out conversations around the intersection of technology and storytelling.
SSO's most exciting and memorable Beethoven concert yet
The idea of a concert comprising wholly works by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is hardly new, yet a fully packed Victoria Concert Hall showed that the great German composer still has a special cachet among concertgoers.
Singapore is a city of 'future past,' says Paolo Giordano
The Italian author is among the 300 people who have been invited to speak or conduct workshops at the festival
BANG FOR YOUR BUCK
Comparing prices, researching products - parents can help their kids learn how to shop responsibly