A STAFF member at Ardgowan Hospice is preparing for a gruelling 16-hour charity swim after battling back from being ‘housebound’ due to a chronic fatigue condition.

Fiona Conway will take on a Loch Lomond relay challenge this week with a team of friends in a bid to raise funds for the vital service.

The group will set off from Ardlui at 4am and are hoping to cover the 22.6-mile distance - longer than the English Channel - by around 8pm.

Having joined the hospice as head of finance and HR around a year and a half ago, Fiona hopes the team can raise £5,000 through the mammoth effort.

Completing the challenge will also mark a special personal milestone for Fiona, who was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) after suffering a virus in 2017.

The long-term condition can cause extreme tiredness - as well as sleeping problems and brain fog - and left Fiona with no option but to give up her previous full-time employment.

(Image: Fiona Conway)

She told the Tele: “I was really unwell and I was housebound for seven or eight months.

“It’s taken since then until now to build myself back up to being able to work full time.

“Seven years ago I had to give up my career and I was housebound - now, I’m able to do this.

“I couldn’t see myself getting back to this position at the time.”

Fiona, from Bishopton, took up open water swimming during the Covid-19 lockdown in a bid to safely enjoy some time out of the house.

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She will be joined at Loch Lomond by sister Caroline Ross, as well as George Walsh, Laura McDonald and Johanna Russell.

Assisted by Inchbaggers Island Swims, the five swimmers will take 45-minute turns in the water throughout the day.

They are due to take on the fundraiser sometime this week, depending on weather conditions.

Fiona said: “Normally at this time of year, the water is about 18 or 19 degrees. Two weeks ago it was 12.

(Image: Fiona Conway)

“None of us wear wetsuits – we all swim in swimming costumes.

“It’ll be grand on the day, I’m sure. We’ll get there – head down, get in and get on.

“I work in finance and HR at the hospice so I know exactly the financial pressures that hospices are facing just now. Every little bit helps.

“If we can raise £5,000 that would be enough for 100 counselling sessions, or it could pay for a nurse for six weeks.”

Fiona and her team of swimmers will share a live tracker on the day of the swim for people to follow along with their progress.

Donations can be made to their fundraising effort at justgiving.com.