Women take first steps in years after gym visit

Nav Kaur, 25, stood for the first time in five years on her first day at the gym

Two women have been able to take their first steps in years after visting the same gym in a Leicestershire town.

Nav Kaur, 25, was left totally incapacitated for five years after becoming ill on a visit to India before she was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and told she might never walk again.

Meanwhile Saleha Kothiya, 26, has Brittle Bone Disease, and has spent her whole life using an electric wheelchair.

Both have reported making spectacular progress following personalised sessions at a gym in Oadby.

TJ Singh, 34, personal trainer at Pioneer Health and Wellbeing gym in Oadby

Nav Kaur was in India for her sister's wedding when she developed an infection and lost all sensation on one side of her body.

By the time she came back to England, she had become unable to move at all and spent the next five years in bed totally reliant on her mum.

"I couldn't shower, I couldn't feed myself, I couldn't do anything," she said.

"My mum had to do everything for me and had to quit her job. I was just like a baby again."

She had not long finished college and was hoping to join the police force at the time.

Nav said things worsened during the Covid lockdown and she had almost given up hope of ever having a normal life.

After her FND diagnosis, she was warned she might never be able to walk again.

"The wheelchair became my best friend." she said. "If I went anywhere my mum or dad had to carry me. I just thought 'that's it now, that's me done'. "

Ms Kaur said she felt drawn to the gym as she passed it

Following visits to several private doctors and therapists looking for ways to get better, Nav said she had "felt drawn" to Pioneer Health and Fitness when her mum was pushing her past.

She said: "I did a bit of research and I saw they talked about health and wellbeing. So I called TJ and arranged to come in."

TJ Singh, 34, runs the gym and has spent 13 years as a personal trainer and physiotherapist.

He decided to focus on breathing techniques and said he created a welcoming atmosphere on Nav's first visit by playing her favourite music and giving her simple commands.

But neither Nav nor TJ were prepared for what happened next.

'Very, very happy'

Nav was pushed into the gym in her wheelchair for her first assessment with TJ, full of doubt.

"I came round that corner there," she said, pointing to the back of the gym. "And then I just stood up from my wheelchair, completely straight after five and a half years.

"When I left I was just absolutely amazed and shocked, and thought 'what just happened?'

"My mum was in bits, she was in tears, even when I left the gym, she was hugging me, she's kissing me.

"She said 'you are in the right place, you're in safe hands' and I was."

TJ said: "She put her trust in me and I was able to have the time to support her, and I think that's what was needed.

"I noticed she was breathing almost in a backwards fashion, which indicates stress, weakness, everything. I thought, let me start with this first."

"She had some external support from the bar bell and from there she stood up.

"My first thought was I didn't want her to fall over and to make her safe but I felt very, very happy. When you do personal training, you don't have this story every day."

Saleha Kothiya has taken her first steps in 26 years

But Nav was not the only success story.

Paralegal Saleha Kothiya, has also been working with TJ at the gym.

She is only just over 3ft tall (0.9m) and has Brittle Bone Disease, so has spent all her life using an electric wheelchair.

She said she never joined the gym with the intention of walking, but, again, thanks to breathing techniques and strength work, has been able to push herself up and use her legs, with support, taking steps for the first time in her 26 years.

On her achievement, she said: "I don't really talk about it much at home. They've seen the videos on social media. I think they think it's really cool."

Asked what the future holds, she replies: "One thing at a time I think."

At this point, she looks across at TJ for reassurance and repeats: "Yeah, one day at a time."

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