Injured judo star says bike crash made her sense of smell disappear

Judo star Stephanie Inglis has revealed the motorbike accident that nearly killed her has caused her to lose her sense of smell permanently.

The Glasgow 2014 silver medallist suffered serious brain and neck injuries in the crash in Vietnam which left her in a coma for a month.

Vietnamese doctors gave the 28-year-old, from Daviot, near Inverness, a 1 per cent chance of survival. A crowdfunding campaign covered the cost of treatment in Thailand and a flight back to Scotland.

In a new update to supporters, she said doctors had told 0 Stephanie Inglis also said she got the all-clear to drive her her sense of smell would not return and joked she may need help buying perfumes.

However, she also told of her joy after being given the allclear to drive again following the accident in May last year. She said: “Good check up with my surgeon today, he’s really happy with my progress and how things are going.

“Unfortunately I’ve lost my sense of smell and as it was the front lobe of my brain I injured that won’t ever heal and potentially could affect my tastebuds.

“Guess got to take it on the chin and we can agree I’m still very lucky and if that’s now what I have to live without it’s not so bad.”

She was teaching in Vietnam when she was injured after part of her skirt caught on the back wheel of a taxi motorbike she was riding and she was pulled to the ground.