iLove Formula One
I've just returned from Montreal, where I joined a great group of close friends for an annual ritual - the Formula One Grand Prix of Canada!
I had a chance to admire some world-class athletes, eat at world-class restaurants and watch a history-making race. We were privileged to witness Lewis Hamilton, all of 22-years-old, win his first Formula One Grand Prix in his very first season as a F-1 driver. Under any circumstances, that's an extraordinary feat. But it was all the more special to everyone in attendance because Lewis is the first black driver in Formula One. And it was probably most special to his father, Anthony Hamilton, who has supported and guided his son in the sport for the last 15 years. Lewis dedicated his win to his dad, who once held down three jobs to finance his son's career.
F-1 drivers are a privileged breed; they travel the world from March through October, stopping in a new country every two weeks to compete for the World Championship. Within the last few weeks it was Montreal, Monaco, Barcelona, Bahrain. Within the next few weeks, the US, France, England, Germany, Hungary.
Most drivers are older than Lewis Hamilton, but a number of them travel with family members. The ones who stand out to me are the ones who circumnavigate the globe with Dad at their side. The dads always beam with pride, for they're most often the ones who've coached the young driver since the age of five when most of them began racing kart circuits.
Lewis Hamilton's father hails from Grenada and raised him in Great Britain. Today, Lewis is the pride of the UK - but it's always evident to everyone that he's been his father's pride for the past 22 years.
To his dad, my dad, and all the proud dads around the world -- Happy Father's Day!
