Cambridgeshire schoolgirl nominated for FIFA award for 7m keepy-uppies

An 11-year-old girl who inspired thousands to do 7.1 million "keepy-uppies" for charity has been nominated for a FIFA Fan Award.

Imogen, from Cambridgeshire, set out to do one keepy-uppy for each of the UK's key workers in April.

After realising she could not do it alone, others joined the challenge.

She is nominated for the award which celebrates "an outstanding moment or gesture by any fan or fan group".

Imogen did the last of her 3,000 keepy-uppies, in batches, at Cambridge United's Abbey Stadium in November 2020.

She said her personal record for keepy-uppies in one go, without the ball touching the ground, was 824.

About 2,000 sports clubs, school groups and individuals "donated" 5,976,414 keepy-uppies, taking videos of themselves and sending them to her parents.

Among those joining in the challenge were England and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, Lioness Lucy Bronze and Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp.

The schoolgirl was inspired to do something to raise funds for charities supporting key workers after seeing Captain Sir Tom Moore, the Bedfordshire centenarian, walking laps of his garden for the NHS.

The Arsenal fan, who did not think she would would reach her target so quickly, said at the time: "I'm just absolutely speechless at how much money we've raised, how many keepy-uppies have been donated and how many kind messages of support have come in."

Imogen, who lived near Cambridge but has since moved, completed a total of 1,123,586 keepy-uppies during an unbroken 195-day run, reaching more than 7,000 a day, in smaller batches, during lockdown and the summer holidays.

She has raised £19,921 for nine charities, including NHS Charities Together, Mind, the East Anglian Air Ambulance and The Fire Fighters Charity.

Nominated alongside Imogen were Denmark and Finland fans after they banded together in a tribute and chanted Christian Eriksen's name as they waited for news on his health after he collapsed on the pitch.

Also nominated were German football fans who raised money, food and other supplies after floods killed more than 200 people.

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