BRAVE Kerris Milligan knows more than most that even cowgirls get the blues -- but that never stopped her battling against the odds to overcome a potentially crippling illness.

The superfit 53-year-old was faced with being confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life after suffering horrific injuries in a car crash.

But the Walkden wonder's fighting spirit won through and she has transformed herself into a stetson-wearing, boot shuffling, line dancing sensation.

Ten years ago Kerris was living in Caerphilly when, while waiting at traffic lights, she was hit by another car at 60 miles an hour.

She suffered a crushed foot, dislocated hip and needed stitches for a head injury where she was thrown forward and struck the windscreen.

But, while these injuries healed with time, Kerris was told that the crash had resulted in the onset of brittle bone syndrome Osteoporosis -- which looked like putting her on the sidelines for good.

"At that time I was a retail manager and I also ran slimming and exercise classes," said Kerris. "I had always been active. I joined the Army at 16 and ran for them, so when the doctors told me I would need sticks to walk and eventually I would end up in a wheelchair I was devastated.

"I had to undergo physiotherapy four times a week for 18 months. I couldn't work so I lost my house and moved back to the North West to be near my family."

Doctors told her that light exercise may help her condition but aerobics held no appeal for her. It was then Kerris discovered line dancing and found her whole life changing direction.

Kerris quickly earned the good natured nickname "Kamikaze Cowgirl" because of her determination to keep on dancing in spite of her two walking sticks. And two-and-a-half years down the line Kerris has put the sticks behind her and is a fully qualified line dance teacher in her own right.

"The exercise seems to have put the illness on hold," she said. "It has helped to strengthen my legs and lower body but it can't help to strengthen my arms and my skull."

She now holds six classes a week in and around Bolton and every weekend she travels across the country arranging hoe-downs for charity.

"I have a lot of elderly people and people with disabilities coming to my classes and I have adapted some of the moves to suit them," she said. "It has become a full-time job but I have never looked back."

Royal Bolton Hospital consultant general physician Dr Keatley Adams said "gentle" exercise could benefit people suffering from Osteoporosis but stressed they would need to start slowly.

"Doctors and physiotherapists are certainly looking at ways of people keeping active rather than the traditional rest and relaxation," he said. "But people doing that should also be looking to supplement this by increasing their calcium intake and taking Vitamin D as well."

He added: "They should also be going for regular check-ups and bone density scans to see how they are progressing. But I have no problem with line dancing because it is a good form of exercise and no doubt it is good fun as well."

Kerris makes her classes fun for her pupils by dressing the part -- she has 13 stetsons to choose from along with the rest of the cowgirl costume.

Her next big venture will be a Country and Western Evening at Walkden's Pembroke Hall on Saturday in aid of St Ann's Hospice.

"We have a country band and a solo singer who also does a great Elvis," she said. "It should be a great night and of course, I'll be stepping out myself."

The big bash starts at 7.30pm and tickets, priced £6, are available on the door.