'Disabilities don't stop us achieving our dreams'

“My disorder hasn’t stopped me achieving and I’m determined not to let it define me.”

Rebecca Stevens, from Caversham in Reading, Berkshire, won the Driving for the Disabled Championship at Royal Windsor Horse Show in May.

The 28-year-old lives with functional neurological disorder (FND), a chronic condition that affects the nervous system and the way the brain communicates with the body.

“To have won the championship title is an incredibly surreal moment for me,” she said. “I’m so proud of myself for everything I have been through.”

Rebecca said she had been at a stable yard when she “unexpectedly” suffered a mini-stroke in 2021.

Left with reduced mobility on the right side of her body and her speech affected, she said it was “life-changing”.

“It came out of nowhere and it was very scary, I had to start from scratch,” she said.

Rebecca’s symptoms include seizures, extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, tremors and brain fog.

“I have good days and bad days,” she said. “I take the good days as a win, they are a huge success but on bad days I can’t get out of bed.

“It’s hard to explain [FND] to someone because, on the outside, I look like a normal person.

“It’s a constant battle but I have got used to it.”

The equestrian said her life “looks very different from what I would have planned five years ago”.

“I never expected to be diagnosed with a neurological disorder,” she said. “I certainly never anticipated driving for the disabled championship, let alone winning the title.

“Meeting the Duchess of Edinburgh was a real treat, she is so lovely and she told me I was a natural.

“It feels amazing. If I really take a step back and look at where I’ve come from and what I’ve achieved I get very emotional.”

Having always had a “passion for riding”, Rebecca said she was unable to ride at the same level after her mini-stroke due to muscle weakness.

But she said she was introduced to carriage driving by family friend Judi Ralls, who owns pony Oakhaze McClintok, known as “Squeak”.

“Carriage driving has given me a new sense of freedom and independence,” said Rebecca.

“This class shows how disabilities don’t define or stop us from achieving our dreams.

“I hope sharing my story encourages others living with disabilities to keep pursuing the things they love.”

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Related Links

• NHS – Functional Neurological Disorder