Accident and Initial Injury
Amateur golfer Robyn Fowlie experienced a brain bleed following a sledging accident, raising concerns about her golfing future. The 22-year-old was enjoying snowy conditions when she collided with a metal gate in Aberdeenshire earlier this year. She lost consciousness and was subsequently diagnosed with a brain bleed. In the weeks after the incident, Robyn faced difficulties with balance, mobility, and memory.
Robyn, from Laurencekirk, was sledging with her sister on 5 January on Duncryne Hill near Fettercairn, an area locally known as the Dumpling, during a period of heavy snow in northeast Scotland.
"We go marching up the hill and then we go down twice together and it was so fun, it was brilliant,"Robyn told BBC Scotland News.
"I was like 'I'm going to go one more time'.
"So off I go down the hill, my sledge flips around and I can't see where I'm going, the board just keeps going, and I hit the back of my head off a metal field gate."
She lost consciousness, and her sister initially feared she had died. Upon regaining consciousness, Robyn experienced a seizure. She was taken first to a GP and then to the Accident & Emergency department at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where doctors confirmed she had suffered a brain bleed.
"My first thought was am I going to be okay?
"I just didn't know, I didn't know what that meant and it was really confusing and horrible actually.
"So I was there for a couple of days and then finally got to go home and I don't remember being home.
"My mum and dad were like what's your name? how old am I? what's your dog's name? I would just pause and they said I was just staring, there was nothing going on, I was just empty.
"And then I finally got my memory back, it's still not the best, but my short-term memory is coming back which is so nice."
Recovery and Return to Golf
Robyn, a second-year business and management student at Robert Gordon University (RGU), described having to relearn basic balance and needing assistance to remain standing. She turned 22 in February and gradually returned to golf, starting with visits to the driving range.
"It was really good for me mentally just to start going and hitting some balls again. I played my first round in March.
"It's very frustrating not being able to remember things even when it came to golfing I was like 'oh what did you make on that hole'.
"I competed in Wales at the start of this month and that was a really positive experience so I was really happy with that."
Robyn described her recovery as ongoing and emphasized the importance of patience in the process.
"I feel like I'm in a better place mentally, I'm feeling better physically as well,"she said.
"I know I'm not 100% there but I am definitely like progressing well and I feel good.
"I love golf and I really want to try and take it further and try to turn professional in the near future."
Outlook and Future Plans
Robyn expressed excitement about participating in the Scottish Women's Amateur Championship at Southerness Golf Club near Dumfries this weekend. She also noted that the accident has influenced her approach to university studies and life choices.
"On the flip side it's made me a lot more sort of focused on my uni work as well because I'm kind of like 'what if this happens again'.
"I'm never going sledging ever again but I just I feel it's made me more serious for other options in my life.
"I'm grateful to just actually be OK."
