Daughter of a British Formula 1 legend tells how she went from being a rich woman to being homeless, until she managed to change the direction of her life again.
The daughter of a British Formula 1 legend tells how she went from being a rich woman to a homeless woman, until she managed to change the direction of her life again.
Christianne Ireland grew up following her father, Innes Ireland, on the track, spending her days with other racing champions such as Stirling Moss and Graham Hill.
But in 2016 she says she found herself homeless and addicted to alcohol.
According to her, volunteering in a community garden project saved her life.
Recalling the early years living with his father, he says it was like “living in a circus.”
“Stilling [automobilista britânico que foi quatro vezes vice-campeão da Fórmula 1] He was his best friend. Frank Williams [fundador e dirigente da equipe de Fórmula 1 Williams] he would arrive and we would go to Stirling’s house for dinner. They put me in the car and we left,” he recalls.
“Everyone’s door was open, unlike Formula 1 now.”
But after years of driving cars and traveling the world, she found herself with only a suitcase on the doorstep of a homeless shelter in the southern British town of Andover.
“It was like falling from an ivory tower,” he says.
He was 58 at the time, had been through two divorces, was addicted to alcohol and says he had no choice but to leave his old home in Berkshire to live in a shelter.
“From 8 in the morning I had to leave the shelter. I didn’t know how to live on the streets. I didn’t know anyone,” he says.
“I spent a lot of the day trying to make sure I didn’t drink, because as soon as I started I lost control.”
As part of her recovery from alcoholism, Christianne was encouraged to volunteer for a charity.
He began working on a small agricultural plot in Andover.
“On days when I wasn’t very well and wanted to go out for a drink, I would just put one foot in front of the other and go into the garden,” he recalls.
The garden soon gave her a glimmer of hope and after a few months Christianne was able to find a job and rent an apartment.
Now the 65-year-old works as a support manager at a charity where she volunteers and helps oversee a food donation project for people in need.
“I grew up with our garden,” she says.
Arriving at the homeless shelter was one of the most difficult moments in Christianne’s life.
But she also believes that losing everything has made her a better person.
“In a way, looking back, I understand [essa experiência] like a snake shedding its skin. And then I found myself,” she says.
Christianne encourages others to consider volunteering as a New Year’s resolution.
“It’s never too late to make a change. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and things will happen,” he adds.
Source: Terra
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