A Wellington mum's fitness class kept her going when tragedies struck.

Consumed by grief, Sara Scott mustered every ounce of strength to haul herself out of bed.

The Wellington-based fitness instructor had lost two children within the space of two years, and was battling nausea from chemotherapy for her recently diagnosed breast cancer. But she needed to get up for her clients, who would be waiting for her poolside.

‘I had to hold it together as I had class to get to,' Sara says. ‘I thought, "These people are relying on me to be there."'

It's this determination and steadfast attitude towards life that has seen Sara triumph through her darkest hours.

At 48, the mum-of-four has experienced more than her fair share of adversity, having endured a series of heartbreaking events that rocked her world.

In 1996, Sara's beloved mum Jill died of bowel cancer. That same year, her marriage came to an end. ‘I remember thinking nothing else bad could happen to me,' she says. ‘But life's not like that.'

Months later she met her now husband David, but the happy couple - who went on
to have four children together - had no idea what was in store. Sara gave birth to Oliver, now 13, and later a second son, Jonty. But at just 14 weeks of age, Jonty died of cot death.

‘Having another baby became our main focus,' says Sara, who has two older sons Samuel, 18, and Tim, 17, from her previous marriage. ‘It was the only way we knew how to cope.'

The pair was thrilled when their daughter Imogen was born 15 months later.

‘That was probably my most defining moment,' Sara recalls. ‘I'd had this secret yearning for a daughter and I just couldn't believe how lucky I was. I remember thinking that Jonty had died for a reason.'

But the couple's happiness was short-lived because at 13 months old, Imogen drowned in the spa pool at their Tawa home.

Left unattended for a matter of seconds the tot, who had just started walking, had fallen into the half-open tub.

‘I arrived home and there was a fire engine and police everywhere,' Sara recalls. ‘David was frantically trying to revive her. But she was gone.'

Struggling to come to terms with her daughter's death, Sara used prescription drugs and alcohol to numb the heartbreak.

‘The pain was unbearable, I could hardly breathe,' Sara says. ‘It was hideous.'

It was during a visit to the cemetery with David and Oliver that Sara realised she had to have another baby.

‘Oliver was distraught because we'd said we were going to see Imogen, and when we got there and she wasn't there he couldn't understand and broke down in tears. By this stage I was 40 and wondering if I could go through it all again.'

Little did Sara know that she was already 17 weeks pregnant.

‘At first I panicked because I'd been so abusive to my body, but [the baby] was absolutely fine,' Sara says. ‘My doctor said the chances of me conceiving under those conditions would have been near impossible.'

In a bizarre twist of fate, Jemima, now eight, was born nine months to the day after her elder sister had died. Cradling this ‘miracle' child in her arms, Sara says she was the spitting image of Imogen.

‘She was like this angel. All I wanted was for her to be five so we could get past the first few years.'

But the challenges weren't yet over for Sara, who four years ago was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. While she tackled the disease head on, enduring weeks of treatment, a mastectomy and a breast reconstruction, deep down Sara was scared.

‘It worried me that I was going to die and leave my children after all that they'd been through. Telling my dad was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I felt like I'd let him down.'

Besides her wonderful friends and family, Sara says the other constant that saw her through her tragedies and illness was her job. For the past 20 years she has taught aqua aerobics, and taken fitness and dance classes. Once a week she appears on TV One's Good Morning to host her ‘Shake The Fat' aerobics sessions.

‘They probably never knew it, but [the class members] were the ones who motivated me. Three times a week when I had no hair and felt terrible, I would go to the pool and those people would tell me I looked great when I knew I didn't. They became my friends and inspiration to keep going.'

Coming through the other side, Sara's adamant she doesn't want to be defined by her ordeal.

‘When one door shuts another one opens,' she says. ‘You've got to get up the next day, because something good will happen.'

She adds, ‘Exercise saved my bacon. If you can release a few endorphins you'll have a good day. Just one hour away from the stresses of life, no matter what you're going through, is beneficial.'

By Sarah Mason

 

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