MESSAGES of support have been pouring in for Commonwealth Games judo silver medallist Stephanie Inglis who is in a coma fighting for her life following a motorcycle accident in Vietnam.
The 27-year-old from Inverness, who was in the north-east of the country to teach English, suffered serious head injuries and is being treated in intensive care.
An online appeal to cover her medical costs has been launched and at the time of publication had raised more than £81,000 of a target of £250,000.
Among those to pay tribute are team-mates and close friends Louise and Kimberley Renicks, the Coatbridge-based sisters who took gold at Glasgow 2014.
Louise, 33, has kept in regular contact with Stephanie during her stay in Vietnam and said the pair exchanged messages most days and talked on the phone at least once a week.
“It is a waiting game now,” said Louise. “Everyone in the judo community across Scotland, the UK and all around the world are trying to spread the word about the GoFundMe page. People are changing their social media profile photographs to one of Stephanie to show their support.
“It is just so hard. Every week we spoke on a Tuesday. Stephanie loves travelling. She is the kind of person who will help anyone if she can. She was coming home to go into a full-time job. She got this opportunity to go to Vietnam and it has been so rewarding for her working with the children.
“Stephanie sends Snapchat messages every day of all the different things she was doing with the kids. At weekends she has been going travelling with some amazing people she has met over there. Stephanie has even sent me pictures of her training in the gym with her TeamScotland kit on.
“She was missing her family because Stephanie is very family-orientated. But she was having an absolutely brilliant time. She is a sensible person and always thinks things through.”
READ MORE: Commonwealth athlete Stephanie Inglis in coma after motorcycle accident in Vietnam
The pair have often been room-mates at training camps and competitions over the years.
Louise recalls how last year, when Stephanie was unable to compete due to a recent knee surgery, she still travelled to events in Australia and Mauritius to cheer on her GB team-mates.
“She stayed with Kimberley and I,” she said. “Stephanie and I would spend the day together while Kimberley rested before fighting. Stephanie was there supporting the team.
“When I retired from judo she took me out to Nando’s and got me a bag of goodies that included a framed picture with her in the middle and myself and Kimberley with our Commonwealth medals. She said on it: ‘You will never forget me.’
“Before Stephanie left for Vietnam I took her out to Nando’s and gave her a goodie bag with a few fun bits and pieces for doing activities with the children. On Monday she sent me a Snapchat of the kids playing pin the tail on the donkey which was one of the things I had given her.”
Kimberley, 28, added that Stephanie had sent her a message on Monday asking how her preparations for the Olympic Games in Rio this summer were going.
“She said she would be home in three weeks and was looking forward to a catch-up. Stephanie was doing her last bit of teaching and touring.
“Her plan was to spend six months over there and do something good by teaching kids English before coming back into training. She had taken a break from judo. She had just finished university and wanted to get a bit of life experience. She has done a lot of charity work and loves working with children.
“Judo isn’t in the 2018 Commonwealth Games but her goal is to compete at 2022. She is still young enough to do that.”
Alex Arthur, the former British, Commonwealth, European and WBO super featherweight boxing champion, said he felt “sick to his gut” when he heard about the accident.
“I’m so upset,” he said. “I only spoke to her on Monday night which is what makes it all feel so unreal. She was telling me about what she was up to in Vietnam and asking how my son was getting on with his boxing. Stephanie told me how much she was looking forward to coming home.
“I got to know Stephanie through my good friend [and her fellow judoka] Connie Ramsay because they grew up together. I first met her about a year before Glasgow 2014. She is such a lovely person. I gave her advice in the build-up to the competition.
“We have sent Snapchat messages back and forth. I saw one where she was with all the school kids. There was another she sent me of a monsoon. It looked like she was having a great time.”
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