Alex Johnston’s Journey from a POTS Diagnosis to Thriving in Physiotherapy

When we talk about resilience, Alex Johnston’s name belongs right at the top of the list. At just 23, the Manx physiotherapist and chronic illness advocate has already faced challenges that would have stopped most people in their tracks. Instead, she turned them into fuel. That grit has now seen her recognised as a Gef 30 Under 30 2025 winner in the Achievement category, supported by Capital International.

From netball star to a chronic illness diagnosis

Alex’s career dream was set when she was just 14. Her stepdad suggested physiotherapy as a career, telling her it could one day take her to Liverpool Football Club. A lifelong Reds fan, she grabbed the idea and ran with it.

In 2020, she moved to Manchester to start her degree, but only two weeks in she caught COVID-19. The virus triggered Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a chronic illness affecting the autonomic nervous system. Overnight, Alex went from netball star and Isle of Man representative player to being unable to stand, often wheelchair-bound, and forced to drop out of university.

‘When researching my condition online, every website told me I’d never get better, never work again, and that this was my new reality,’ she says.

Alex refused to accept that future. She set up an Instagram page, @lifewithpots__, to share her experiences and connect with others. She also made a list titled ‘Things I shouldn’t be able to do with POTS, but WILL’.

Slowly, she began ticking them off. The page grew into a global community and later a podcast, Life with POTScast, now listened to in more than 30 countries. She also started strength training and lifestyle changes that have helped her regain around 80% of her pre-diagnosis ability. Four years on, she’s preparing to run the Manchester Half Marathon and recently returned to netball, 1,604 days since her last game.

Achievements on and off the island

Against the odds, Alex went back to Manchester Metropolitan University, not only completing her physiotherapy degree but graduating with a First. Her dissertation focused on resistance training in managing POTS, turning her personal struggle into research that could help others.

She also achieved her teenage dream when she won the university’s Physiotherapy Sports Prize, which gave her a two-week placement with Liverpool Football Club’s U23 academy squad. ‘It was a very tearful phone call home,’ she laughs.

Closer to home, Alex volunteered with the Manx Grand Prix physio team in 2024 and 2025 and now travels with the Isle of Man netball squad as their physiotherapist.

After graduating, Alex returned to the Isle of Man and now works part time at Elite Therapy as a sports massage therapist. She’s passionate about using her experiences with chronic illness to support patients, and advocates for greater awareness of invisible disabilities in the workplace.

‘We are the only minority group that anyone can become a part of at any given time,’ she explains. ‘Health is unpredictable, you never know what’s around the corner.’

Role models and reflection

Throughout it all, Alex credits her mum, Nina Moore, as her biggest inspiration: ‘She’s an unstoppable force, both in business and as a parent. I wouldn’t have got through this without her.’ She also pays tribute to Catherine Davis of Rex Physiotherapy, who gave her hope when she was at her lowest and later welcomed her onto the MGP physio team.

Alex’s Gef 30 Under 30 win has given her a moment to reflect on everything she has overcome. ‘At first, I didn’t understand why I’d won. To me, it felt like I had no choice but to find a way through. Now I realise that’s exactly why, because so many people lose hope. If my story helps others believe they can build a better life, then that’s the achievement I’m proudest of.’

In her own words: ‘It’s been a physical and emotional rollercoaster that I wouldn’t change for the world.’