Three years on from a devastating motorcycle accident which nearly killed her, Stephanie Inglis feels lucky more than anything else.
The former Commonwealth Games judo silver medalist suffered a serious brain injury and was left fighting for her life following the accident in Vietnam on May 10, 2016.
Although she has managed to rebuild her life, doctors have warned that another head injury could prove fatal and as a result, a return to the mat and the sport she adores remains off the cards.
On the third anniversary of her accident, she outlined the toll her recovery had taken not just on her physical health, but her mental health as well.
“It has been a long journey,” Stephanie said. “I always feel lucky, there’s more to life than judo and I’m so glad to be here.
“But it’s also frustrating that I can’t do the things I used to be able to do. Sometimes I get angry and annoyed that my life has taken this turn, I might rant and get it off my chest.
“Then I’ll re-assess it and remember how lucky I am to be here and how far I have come.”
Her story captured the nation’s heart as family, friends and strangers across Scotland raised more than £300,000 to bring her back home to allow her to begin her recovery.
Stephanie, a former pupil at Inverness’s Millburn Academy who grew up in Daviot, is now living happily in Dunfermline in a house she owns with long-term partner Ally Morrison and working as an assistant manager at Enterprise Rent-A-Car at Edinburgh Airport.
