We’re honoured to have joined BBC 5 Live’s “All About” podcast for an hour-long conversation on neurodiversity in elite sport. From Olympic rower Caragh McMurtry’s lived experience to Lucy Bronze’s powerful self-discovery, this episode spotlighted the strengths, challenges, and growing visibility of neurodivergent athletes. Here’s why this national moment matters—and how it fuels our mission at Neurodiverse Sport.

Our third Neurodiversity Celebration Week webinar explored how sport can unlock opportunities for neurodivergent people—on and off the field. With insights on coaching, mentoring, cultural change, and transferable life skills, panellists showed how inclusion becomes real when it’s lived, not just written into policy.

Hosted by journalist Nick Ransom, our second Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2025 webinar explored the unique strengths of neurodivergent athletes. From reframing “ability vs disability” to harnessing dedication as an advantage and moving from equality to equity, panellists shared powerful stories of excellence that challenge stereotypes and redefine success in sport.

Our first Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2025 webinar explored the unique challenges and strengths of neurodivergent women in sport. From breaking down gendered stereotypes to building neuro-affirming environments and looking ahead to a more inclusive future, the conversation was raw, insightful, and full of hope.

In this powerful second blog, Paul Burrows shares how sport has been a lifeline for understanding and regulating his Autistic and Dyslexic mind. From the calming effects of rowing on water to the obsessive challenges that helped him make sense of his mental energy, Paul reflects on how movement, structure, and self-awareness can create stability and meaning in an overwhelming world. His story offers insight into neurodivergent motivation, mental health, and the quiet strength found in purposeful routine.

In this deeply personal blog, Paul Burrows explores the powerful link between neurodivergence, sport, and belonging. From early experiences of exclusion to discovering rowing as his "gang," Paul shares how sport helped him make sense of his Autistic and Dyslexic identity. This honest reflection offers insight into the quiet strength of purpose-driven connection, the value of shared goals over socialising, and the importance of creating spaces where everyone can find their place—on their own terms.

Written by Maddy Nutt

Growing up without a formal diagnosis for autism, I very much learnt how to manage certain social situations and although on the outside I may appear to be thriving in these settings and an extrovert, inside my brain is a very different reality.

Sam Smith, a former British No. 1 tennis player and now a leading broadcaster, opens up about navigating elite sport as an undiagnosed autistic person. In this powerful blog by Olivia Rae, Sam’s story unfolds as a series of contrasting truths: discipline and disruption, calm and chaos, structure and overwhelm. Her journey reminds us that what’s often seen as “difficult” can in fact be the root of brilliance—when understood through a neurodivergent lens.

Bright studio lights, honest storytelling, and a line-up of elite athletes turned Neurodiverse Sport’s first live panel into a master-class on neuroinclusion. From Sam Smith’s sensory challenges on-air, to Brooke Hendrix’s ADHD openness in a football changing room, to Greg Halford’s autistic hindsight, the evening moved from overwhelm to collective action—reminding us that coaching curiosity and safer environments are the real performance enhancers.