17/06/2026
A North Yorkshire nurse who was suddenly left unable to walk after collapsing outside a gym is taking on a 10k run to raise awareness of a little-known neurological condition that changed her life🙏💪.
Olivia Kobli-Watson, 28, from Byram, was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) in April after an eight-day stay at Pinderfields Hospital.
She is now preparing to run 10km alongside her husband on October 4 to raise money for FND Together We Rise — a charity supporting people living with the condition.
She said: “Whilst walking out of the gym, I remember feeling incredibly dizzy and a gradual feeling of my legs becoming heavier with every step. It felt like I was walking through knee deep thick mud. I tried to keep pushing to get to my car, but my legs just disappeared from my consciousness and I fell to the floor.”
“As a nurse, I was thinking of all the rational explanations. I genuinely thought I just needed a good meal and a good night's sleep and everything would be OK.”
But the next day, when the same symptoms returned during a dog walk, she knew she needed help. At hospital, Liv underwent blood tests, a CT scan and two MRI scans before finally receiving her life-changing diagnosis😥. Despite working in healthcare herself, FND was something Liv had never come across.
She said: “When the doctor assessed me, I had some left-sided weakness, particularly in my left leg, which I wasn't aware of. At that point, the fear was indescribable. I thought I had had a stroke. I remember my mum’s facial expressions change. Things started to feel really serious.”
Now, Liv wants to turn her experience into something positive by taking on the 10k challenge. She hopes that sharing her story will help others feel less alone❤️.
