Imogen Scurr was 9 when she fell from a tree and suffered a fatal brain injury. Photo / Supplied
Imogen Scurr was 9 when she fell from a tree and suffered a fatal brain injury. Photo / Supplied
A Taupō mother running in memory of her daughter has ticked off two goals this month.
Sarah Carter's first goal was to complete the 2020 ASB Auckland Marathon in honour of her daughter Imogen Scurr, an achievement she managed in four hours and 32 minutes.
Her husband Andrew Scurr also ran the marathon, finishing in three hours 40 minutes and their daughter Rhiannon and four others, including two of Imo's friends, ran the 11km distance.
The second goal was to raise $25,000 for the Starship Foundation and not only did Sarah and a whole group of friends, family and supporters achieve it, they well and truly smashed the target, hitting an eventual total of $43,233, which was still rising this week.
Sarah chose the Starship Foundation as her fundraising recipient because she wanted to do something meaningful in Imogen's name.
Starship Children's Hospital's intensive care unit cared for Imogen, 9, for two weeks when she suffered massive head injuries after falling from a tree at the family's property.
She died at Starship on October 20, 2019, the day of the 2019 ASB Auckland Marathon.
As well as 34 Running for Imo runners and walkers tackling various events at the 2020 ASB Auckland Marathon, there were also 17 runners and walkers in Taupō and seven ploughing through rain and mud in the United Kingdom, all on their own personal missions to raise money for the cause.
Imogen Scurr's mother Sarah Carter (front, second from left) and Running for Imo supporters at the ASB Auckland Marathon. They have raised $43,234 for Starship so far. Photo / Supplied
The group, many of them clad in Running for Imo unicorn tops and hoodies, also had two age-group winners and an age-group placing from their marathon runners in Auckland. Sarah, who says she is not naturally a runner, found the final 10km especially hard and was happy just to cross the finish line.
Sarah says the day was "a massive and emotional day full of love and determination, which feels so apt as a way to celebrate Imogen's life.
"It's a lovely thing to do. To me it shows how Imo impacted people, so many people really, really loved her and I think that's what it felt like to me, an outpouring of love for Imo and by supporting Starship it's a great way to channel that love.
"It's never going to bring Imo back, that's the way it is, but it was a really good focus for me to get through September and October this year and to be able to bring everybody together who really loved Imogen."
The amount of money raised is "fantastic" and Sarah said it was very special to Imogen's family to know the funds will be going to Starship.
She said in September that she wanted Imogen to be the child who had inspired people to come together and fundraise for a good cause in her name and she could think of no more deserving charity than Starship.
"That kind of money is going to make difference and to be able to do that in Imo's name means a lot to me."
Sarah said she had set herself a goal of completing the marathon in around four and half hours and so was pleased with her time, although her timing chip had been inadvertently swapped with another runner's chip, which had caused some confusion and hilarity as he had completed the marathon in a much faster time than her.
"People watching [online] on the day thought I was running really, really fast!"
She was moved by how generous and kind people had been, in many different ways.
