Scots mum who learned to walk again after horror crash back running marathons
Fiona McAllister went through the windscreen of the car she was a passenger in, and was in hospital for over a year.
A Scots woman has told of her journey from having to learn how to walk and talk again after a horror car crash to building up her strength to run marathons.
Fiona McAllister was left with an acquired brain injury following the crash in October 2008, and was put into a coma for three months to keep her alive.
The 47-year-old from Newbridge, Edinburgh, spent 18 months in hospital re-learning how to eat, walk and talk. Her doctor said she had never seen anyone recover from the type of brain injury Fiona had.
Fiona said: "The crash was so severe, I was put into a coma to keep me alive. I had no seatbelt on, went straight through the windshield, and had no recollection.
"I had to learn to drink, eat, go to the toilet, get dressed, and get washed. It was like starting out as a baby."
She was a passenger in the back seat of the car when it struck a tree off the road.
She said: "Most of the memories I have of the accident are what my mum and dad told me. I woke up from the coma in Leeds General Infirmary, and I felt like 'what was I doing here?'
"The first drink I had was a strawberry Ribena, which I choked on because it took a while to get used to drinking again."
She spent a period of time at Daniel Yorath House, one of the UK's best brain injury rehabilitation units, as well as undergoing physiotherapy to re-learn how to walk.
She added: "I joined the gym a week after I was discharged from the hospital. Because of my nerves, I had to learn to speak again, and my mum made me move my muscles every morning."
Fiona had previously been a keen runner, but lost interest while at university. However, she was determined to get back out there for the sake of her mental health, and started with trying to jog.
She started going out at 4am - as she puts more pressure on her left leg than her right and was self conscious of her running style, but acknowledged this "wasn't her fault".
Gradually, she built up her confidence, and 12 years after the crash, she was able to run a marathon. Now she runs three times a week and goes mountain biking once a week.
She said: "My balance is not always great. It took me years to put on my jeans while standing on my right leg."
Due to her stability issues, Fiona has a different running action to others where she puts more pressure on her left leg than her right leg.
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However, she gained in confidence after she met her running coach in 2019 and moved to Kirkcaldy, Fife.
She said: "Even when I go for a run now, there are times when I scuff my foot on a stone or a curb and down I go."
Fiona did her first marathon in Yorkshire five years ago, and has completed another four since.
She added: "I did not think it would be possible to run again, and when I crossed the line, it felt amazing. The week before I did the Yorkshire marathon in 2020, I did my fastest 10k. I kept getting injured because of my hard work."
Fiona recently ran the half marathon in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, on May 11, 2025, and gave her medal to her daughter, Madison for her 12th birthday.
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