I AM very fortunate that every day I work with some amazing people.

Truly inspirational and, to be honest, people who make me feel really humble.

These include semi-elite athletes, people with life-limiting conditions and people who overcome massive obstacles every day just to carry out daily activities that we take for granted.

A few weeks ago I received a call from one such person. She’d been given my number by another client of mine, a wheelchair user, as she wanted a trainer/physio who was happy to work with people with disabilities and she was struggling to find someone.

Riona had a spinal stroke, a bleed into the spinal column, in April 2015. This had left her as a paraplegic. She has no feeling lower than her belly button but, with the use of crutches or a zimmer frame, was able to walk short distances.

Her goal? To walk unaided.

I always meet with prospective clients before I agree to work with them. Sometimes expectations need to be managed and on this occasion I knew this was one of those times.

Riona is 36, she has four children and is remarkably motivated and driven. When we started working together she was also teaching in a secondary school three days a week, she has since given this up as she wants to focus on her rehab.

Riona’s first couple of sessions were just to see what she could do and to allow me to assess what her problems were. If you know anyone who has had a spinal injury you will know that they all present differently. No two cases are the same.

This is what makes this work so interesting but at the same time so challenging. There is no ‘text book’ case to refer to. It’s almost making it up as you go along to some extent.

Riona’s legs go into spasm at times and she tires very quickly. And balance? Remember the Weebles? It can be like that at times.

Like I said though, she is remarkably motivated and is happy to be challenged in her sessions.

Walking is something most of us take for granted, we don’t even think about it. Watching the concentration Riona needs to try and move one leg in front of the other is a marvel to behold.

Remembering she is a paraplegic –she has no feeling below her belly button but has some motor function – again everyone presents differently.

Two weeks ago I asked her to bring her zimmer frame to the session. I didn’t tell her why but when I told her at the start of the session she was going to walk independently she just looked at me as if I was insane.

But you know what? She did it. It wasn’t far and it wasn’t pretty but she did it. It’s only the start of a long process but she’s on her way.

So what’s your excuse?

To see a video of Riona walking check out my Facebook page, just search Nu Physio and Fitness.