Creating Community Across Continents: Camila Gonzalez Riaño on Mentorship

Transformational Relationship

That's what drew her to the FIA Women in Motorsport mentorship program as a mentee.

Building Connections Without Barriers

Camila joined the program looking to learn from others' experiences in the field. She wanted to meet women who had worked on track in various roles - not just other lawyers, but people in marketing, hospitality, race control, stewards, volunteers, drivers.

"That is exactly what I have gotten! Amazing women from all over the globe have shared their experiences with me, enriched my vision and aspirations, broadened my perspective and made me realize the infinite possibilities on and off the tracks!"

The program connected her with mentors from Germany, the UK, and Australia. "For someone from South America that would have been unthinkable before this program."

The Freedom to Be Authentic

What made the mentorship relationships feel special was how the program's structure allowed everyone to show up as themselves. "This means that you as a mentee can learn of the person's experience, but also get to know them personally, their character, their thoughts and ways of working," Camila explains.

This type of connection presented another point of view: "This is really valuable because then you can see that there is no one way to work in motorsports. Your aspirations are the limit, and you don't need to be anything else than yourself, just be authentic."

Seeing different paths and different approaches from multiple mentors helped her understand that success doesn't require fitting a single mold.

A Special Meeting

One standout moment came when Camila met one of her mentors in person and they visited Motorworld Munich together. "This was really special, not only because of the possibility of meeting my mentor in person, but because Motorworld is a really special place."

It was the beginning of winter. The Christmas market had just opened, and they witnessed the first snow of the season together. "This made me feel like this meeting was really special and we had shared more than a mentorship moment but really connected."

What Makes Great Mentors

The qualities that had the biggest impact on Camila were a combination of directness and care. "Their bluntness but also their kindness. Their authenticity and openness to help and connect."

"It is amazing how these very experienced women, who have loads and loads to do and are really busy, take some of their time and effort to meet you, listen to you and enrich your perspective and your life."

Finding Direction

Before the program, Camila had never had a mentor. She wasn't even sure it would work for her because she didn't have a specific purpose in mind. But the experience changed that.

"Through the program and my mentors I have confronted myself with what it is that I expect of myself, and actually create a plan to get there based on their impressions and experiences," she explains. "My mentors have been extremely kind and comforting, but also have challenged me in a good way so that I can grow as a professional and sometimes even as a person."

The relationships helped her clarify goals she hadn't fully articulated before.

Building Community in a Competitive World

For Camila, the program makes a difference. "I think what this program does is revolutionary in the sense that we create community. In a world where individualism, competition and jealousy are so predominant, and in a field dominated by men, we women need to help each other."

"There is enough space for all of us, but we need to help and support each other. Initiatives like this make it possible to connect without barriers from every corner of the world in ways you would never imagine!"

Advice for Future Mentees

For anyone considering joining the program, Camila encourages: "Definitely do!" For women lawyers aspiring to work in motorsports, she recommends a practical resource: read, re-read, and annotate the sporting regulations.

Breaking Down Geographic Barriers

Camila's experience demonstrates how mentorship can bridge not just experience gaps but geographic ones. For someone from South America working to build a career in motorsport, having access to mentors across continents opened possibilities that wouldn't have existed otherwise.

The combination of professional guidance, personal connection, and community building created something larger than individual mentorship relationships. It created a network of women supporting each other across borders and helping each other navigate a male-dominated field where there's room for everyone to succeed.