“Adventure athlete” Taylor Owen Mason has smashed his personal record and swung a sledgehammer 30,000 times in 12 hours, 16 minutes, and 30 seconds, all in a powerful effort to raise awareness for functional neurological disorder (FND) — a condition his partner lives with daily.
Taylor undertook the intense challenge by repeatedly striking a tyre, an endurance feat he had previously completed but has now timed and recorded more precisely. The effort was not only physical but deeply personal — inspired by his partner Katie Roberts, who lives with FND, a condition that causes symptoms similar to strokes, including seizures, chronic pain, and extreme fatigue.
“When I met Katie she told me she had FND — I’d never heard of it before and didn’t really understand it,” Taylor said. “This challenge was my way of shining a light on an invisible and often misunderstood condition.”
The event garnered local support and attention on social media, sparking conversations around the awareness and recognition of FND, a disorder that often lacks clear diagnostic tests and is frequently misjudged.
Taylor now hopes his remarkable effort will not only raise awareness but also inspire more research and support for individuals living with functional neurological disorder.
