TWO intrepid women are getting ready to climb three of the east of Scotland’s most well-known hills, as a thank you to a charity which helped one of them overcome a severe brain injury.

Fiona Grant-MacDonald and charity volunteer Claire Dunn are inviting supporters to rise to the occasion and join their quest to climb Arthur’s Seat, North Berwick Law and Traprain Law to raise funds for Headway East Lothian.

The Three Peaks challenge on August 20 will see the duo cycle from Musselburgh to Edinburgh before climbing Arthur’s Seat.

Then, it is on to Traprain Law before stopping off in Dunbar for lunch.

Then, they will cycle to North Berwick and scale North Berwick Law before finishing off at the event sponsor at The Goth, in Prestonpans.

Fiona, from Prestonpans, began attending the support group at Headway East Lothian, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by brain injury, two years ago after she was found unconscious in bed by her partner and diagnosed with a brain haemorrhage, which left her with a severe brain injury.

Although Fiona, 36, briefly regained consciousness, she temporarily lost her vision and suffered from an excruciating headache.

Having been rushed to Western General Hospital in Edinburgh for emergency treatment, her family were told she had a 50/50 chance of surviving the ordeal.

Thankfully, the doctors were quick to identify Fiona’s severe headache as a brain haemorrhage and they delivered lifesaving treatment, though she was left with a severe brain injury.

It wasn’t until 10 months after Fiona had been discharged from hospital that she was able to return full-time after a long-phased return to her job as a physics technician and hockey coach at Stewart’s Melville College, in Edinburgh.

Although Fiona’s brain injury still impacts upon her ability to process information and her daily activities, she has managed to regain control of her life with the support of Headway East Lothian.

Since joining the Headway group, the friendship Fiona has developed with Claire – a student at Musselburgh’s Queen Margaret University, who volunteers at the charity – has given her the determination to give something back.

Fiona said: “I consider myself extremely lucky to be here today, though it was difficult going from being a fit women who loved cycling to someone facing a long and uphill battle to recovery.

“My memory has been massively affected and the headaches I suffered in the early stages of my recovery are still really painful even today, meaning I have to take painkillers on a daily basis.” Gearing up for the challenge shows how far Fiona has come since a one-mile bike ride left her lying exhausted on the pavement.

“In the early days of recovery, the fatigue as a result of my brain injury was incredible,” Fiona said.

“Before my haemorrhage I was very active, and I’ve had to learn to pace myself and rein myself in a lot when taking on physical challenges.

“Members of Headway East Lothian can get quite depressed by the long-term challenges they face after their brain injuries. I’m hoping our challenge will motivate them to join in or help out at the food stations along the way.” To get involved, call 07895 193974, or to make a donation, visit mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/alternative3peaks