{"id":897,"date":"2026-04-27T02:44:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T00:44:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/27\/my-body-pauses-my-spirit-doesnt\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T21:43:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T19:43:50","slug":"my-body-pauses-my-spirit-doesnt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/27\/my-body-pauses-my-spirit-doesnt\/","title":{"rendered":"My Body Pauses, My Spirit Doesn\u2019t"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This morning I woke up with my legs paralysed again. That familiar fear crept in\u2014but so did something stronger: determination. As the feeling slowly returned, I stretched, breathed through it, and made a decision\u2026 I was going to run.<br><br>Connor, my usual partner in crime, is recovering after surgery, and my husband is sidelined with an ankle injury\u2014so today, it was just me and Rose taking on the 10km Trail Race at The Big Red Barn.<br><br>And what a run it was. My body held strong, my legs carried me, and I crossed that finish line in 3rd place\u2014another bronze medal, another reminder of what I\u2019m still capable of.<br><br>But this journey is unpredictable.<br><br>About an hour later, while on the phone with my mom, my legs started to feel strange. Before I could even react, I was paralysed again\u2014this time in public. My husband had to bring the car closer and carry me. I felt exposed, embarrassed, and honestly\u2026 scared. This was new. This was different.<br><br>But here\u2019s what I\u2019m holding onto: I still showed up. I still ran. I still finished. And even in my most vulnerable moment, I wasn\u2019t defeated.<br><br>This is what living with FND looks like. It\u2019s unpredictable, humbling, and sometimes overwhelming\u2014but it\u2019s also filled with resilience, courage, and moments of triumph that refuse to be overshadowed.<br><br>&#8220;You are not defined by the moments you fall, but by the strength you rise with\u2014again and again.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-attachment-id=\"422\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/18\/abs-on-fire-arms-pumped-my-full-body-blast\/website-logo-5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Website-Logo-4.png?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Website Logo\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Website-Logo-4.png?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Website-Logo-4.png?resize=1024%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-422\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Website-Logo-4.png?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Website-Logo-4.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Website-Logo-4.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Website-Logo-4.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This morning I woke up with my legs paralysed again. That familiar fear crept in\u2014but so did something stronger: determination. As the feeling slowly returned, I stretched, breathed through it, and made a decision\u2026 I was going to run. Connor, my usual partner in crime, is recovering after surgery, and my husband is sidelined with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":896,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[166],"tags":[168],"class_list":["post-897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-my-life-with-fnd","tag-fndwarrior-chooselife-strengthinstruggle-invisibleillness-keepgoing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":972,"url":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/23\/part-ii-trials-tremors-and-triumphs\/","url_meta":{"origin":897,"position":0},"title":"The Trail Runner: Trials, Tremors, and Triumphs &#8211; Part II","author":"admin","date":"23 July 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"From Curiosity to Commitment What began as a single run soon became a rhythm. At first, I thought trail running would remain a novelty \u2014 something to do occasionally, a break from routine. But the trail has a way of calling you back. 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I wanted to show up, even if\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Body Transformation&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Body Transformation","link":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/category\/fitness\/body-transformation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260216232946259.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260216232946259.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260216232946259.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":895,"url":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/waking-up-paralyzed-the-reality-of-living-with-fnd\/","url_meta":{"origin":897,"position":3},"title":"Waking Up Paralyzed: The Reality of Living with FND","author":"Rey De Bruyn-Walters","date":"24 April 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"This morning, I woke up and couldn\u2019t move my legs at all. Complete paralysis. It lasted about an hour\u2014but in that moment, it felt endless. Fear set in quickly. I didn\u2019t know what to do, so I stayed still, waiting, hoping. Slowly, the feeling came back.But the day didn\u2019t get\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;My life with FND&quot;","block_context":{"text":"My life with FND","link":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/category\/my-life-with-fnd\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/file_000000009d4071f7bb79019dbd70fba6.png?fit=651%2C868&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/file_000000009d4071f7bb79019dbd70fba6.png?fit=651%2C868&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/file_000000009d4071f7bb79019dbd70fba6.png?fit=651%2C868&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":890,"url":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/18\/living-in-the-in-between-my-life-with-fnd\/","url_meta":{"origin":897,"position":4},"title":"Living in the In-Between: My Life with FND","author":"Rey De Bruyn-Walters","date":"18 April 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Some days, my body feels like a stranger I\u2019m forced to share space with.Living with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is not something you can fully explain to someone who hasn\u2019t experienced it. 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One Dream.","author":"admin","date":"5 August 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"At the beginning of July, I set myself a challenge: run a half marathon every Saturday and Sunday throughout the month. By the final 2 km of my eighth half marathon, I felt every step. My legs were tired, my body was exhausted, and every kilometre demanded more than the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Fitness&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Fitness","link":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/category\/fitness\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/file_00000000d54481f4b8ece53d2a1016f1.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/file_00000000d54481f4b8ece53d2a1016f1.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/file_00000000d54481f4b8ece53d2a1016f1.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/file_00000000d54481f4b8ece53d2a1016f1.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/file_00000000d54481f4b8ece53d2a1016f1.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/ph3bPZ-et","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_20260426_161105_284.webp?fit=1080%2C1920&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=897"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":931,"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/897\/revisions\/931"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}