She might be a little “too slow” for Danica Patrick or Dario Franchitti’s wife, actress Ashley Judd, or who-knows-what critic in the IndyCar Series circles who believes Duno is downright dangerous.
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But to the approximately 300 sick or injured children cared for at the South Fort Worth medical compound, she was a gracious visitor with a radiant smile, plenty of South American charm, and a shiny race car that was parked outside for a few of the patients to climb aboard.
YouTube has immortalized a pit-road shouting match between IndyCar Series’ glamour girl Patrick and IndyCar Series’ “other woman,” Duno, after a practice run last July in Lexington, Ohio.
But Duno doesn’t deserve all this negative publicity. She is one smart woman, with four master’s degrees. Count them.
She became a naval engineer with degrees in naval architecture, maritime business, marine biology and organizational development.
Three of the four master’s degrees were achieved concurrently, all by age 25. She has never been married.
“I don’t want to be only a race car driver. I want to be a race car driver who gives something to the generations that follow,” said Duno, an active role model for “Racing for Kids,” a not-for-profit that has touched the lives of 2,500 hospitalized kids and raised more than $5 million over the past two decades.
Her new children’s book: “Go, Milka, Go — The Life of Milka Duno” earned the 2009 Best Young Adult Sports/Recreation book at the International Latino Book Awards in New York last week.
“I want children to know: You can do everything you want. Just like my life.”
Duno appeared in the 2008 movie, “Speed Racer,” with John Goodman and Susan Sarandon, as Kellie Gearbox.
Milka treated each child as her favorite, and proceeded to go about the task very slowly.
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