An eight-year-old girl has been farewelled in a funeral at the same race track where she died in a drag-racing accident after she crashed into a concrete barrier.
Around 600 of people gathered at the Perth Motorplex on Friday to say goodbye to Anita Board who tragically died early in November at a junior dragster event.
She lost control of her race car at the end of her solo run at the Perth Motorplex almost two weeks ago and died in the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children the following day.
Hundreds of people gathered (pictured) at Perth Motorplex Friday to say goodbye to Anita Board who tragically died in a drag racing crash earlier in November
Anita’s father Ian (far left) helped carry his daughter’s purple coffin covered in My Little Pony stickers down the race course
Anita (pictured) was from a family of keen drag racers and was just old enough to get her license when the accident happened
Mourners wore purple for Anita and racers placed helmets on display out of respect at the end of the funeral according to 7 News.
Amoung the attendees were her schoolmates, teacher, principal and the racing community.
Anita’s father Ian Board remembered her as his ‘cheeky little monkey’ who was creative and loved Harry Potter, My Little Pony, gymnastics, mac and cheese, her pet fish, cartwheeling around the house and motorsport.
‘She loved her family and she loved being outdoors,’ he said.
‘Sadly, today we have to let go. Forever in our hearts.’
Anita’s older sister Zara read a poem she wrote about her sister, describing her as happy and bubbly, with a family who loved her.
Aubin Grove Primary School principal Frank Pansini said Anita was known for giving people gifts, including a Harry Potter-style magic wand for her teacher.
‘To know Anita Board was to love her,’ he said.
Anita lost control of her race car at the end of her solo run and died in Princess Margaret Hospital for Children the next day
Anita’s mother Sonja (left), Mr Board (centre) and big sister Zara (far right) had a moment remembering the young girl
Mr Board (centre, right) remembered his daughter as his ‘cheeky little monkey’ who was creative and loved Harry Potter, My Little Pony, gymnastics, mac and cheese, her pet fish, cartwheeling around the house and motorsport
‘Her bubbly personality, her infectious smile and her tenacious will to succeed meant she was a very special young girl with an irresistible personality, who was a favourite of all who knew her.’
Mr Pansini said it was difficult to talk to Anita’s classmates about her death.
‘To her classmates, Anita was kind-hearted, caring and cheerful,’ he said.
‘She was compassionate and would go out of her way to look after someone.’
Amoung the mourners who remembered Anita on Friday were her schoolmates, teacher, principal and the racing community
About 600 people (pictured) gathered to remember Anita at the same place she was tragically killed almost two weeks earlier
‘Her bubbly personality, her infectious smile and her tenacious will to succeed meant she was a very special young girl with an irresistible personality, who was a favourite of all who knew her’
‘She loved her family and she loved being outdoors, sadly, today we have to let go. Forever in our hearts,’ Mr Board said
‘To her classmates, Anita was kind-hearted, caring and cheerful, she was compassionate and would go out of her way to look after someone’
Australian National Drag Racing Association general manager Brett Stevens said the pain of losing Anita was felt by the whole community and losing a child was the hardest grief to bear.
‘When a child dies we mourn not only the life that was, but also the life that might have been,’ he said.
The service also heard Anita’s organs were donated to three people in need, including two girls of a similar age.
Anita’s purple casket was adorned with the character Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony, which was on Anita’s 210cc purple dragster called Pony Power.
‘When a child dies we mourn not only the life that was, but also the life that might have been,’ Australian National Drag Racing Association general manager Brett Stevens said
Anita’s purple casket was adorned with the character Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony, which was on Anita’s 210cc purple dragster called Pony Power
The stage was decorated with enlarged photographs of Anita in her vehicle and racers placed helmets on display behind a dragster vehicle as a mark or respect.
Anita’s favourite music from Pink, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars were played during the service, including drive-by on the track
The service also heard Anita’s organs were donated to three people in need, including two girls of a similar age
The stage was decorated with enlarged photographs of Anita in her vehicle and racers placed helmets on display behind a dragster vehicle as a mark or respect.
Anita’s favourite music from Pink, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and Katy Perry were played during the service, which included a drive-by on the track.
Mr Board said last week the family chose drag racing because it was a safe form of motor spot.
Described as having a ‘bright, bubbly personality,’ and an ‘infectious’ smile, being at the track ‘was the highlight of her life’.
Described as having a ‘bright, bubbly personality,’ and an ‘infectious’ smile, being at the track ‘was the highlight of her life’
The young girl had only days earlier celebrated her eighth birthday and thought it would be ‘the best day ever’ when she joined her bigger sister on the track
The moment Anita lined her race car up before the fatal crash on November 11 was caught on camera (pictured)
The crashed car (pictured) was taken away from the Perth track later during the day of the fatal accident
The young girl had only days earlier celebrated her eighth birthday and thought it would be ‘the best day ever’ when she joined her bigger sister on the track.
‘We are blessed to have had her for eight years and she’s going to be forever missed,’ Mr Board told reporters.
Anita was from a family of keen drag racers and was just old enough to get her license when the tragic accident happened.
The young eight-year-old girl died at Princess Margaret Hospital having suffered ‘severe injuries’ in the crash.