The Retreat: A Gold Standard Performance Space for all ParalympicsGB Athletes at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
Introduction: The Missing Link in Performance Environments?
Behind every medal moment lies not just training and talent, but recovery, regulation, and the right environment. For neurodivergent athletes—who make up a significant yet often unacknowledged part of the elite sport population—standard environments can pose major barriers to performance.
At Paris 2024, ParalympicsGB introduced The Retreat: a purpose-designed neuroinclusive performance space within the heart of the Paralympic Village. More than a wellbeing room, it was a strategic investment in athlete readiness—a calm, flexible, and sensory-considerate space built to support regulation, decision-making, and resilience under pressure.
Learning from Tokyo 2020: When Coping Isn’t Sustainable
Tokyo offered important lessons. While the world applauded athletes’ bravery and resilience, behind the scenes, many were struggling to cope. Constant COVID testing, sensory overload, and intense isolation made already challenging conditions even harder—especially for neurodivergent athletes.
While well-intentioned, shared spaces like social lounges didn’t always relieve stress—noise, crowds, and unexpected interactions often made it hard to unwind. For some, their bedrooms became the only dependable space for decompression.
“The only place athletes had any control was their bedrooms—and even those were shared,” noted Dr Amanda Gatherer, Mental Health Lead at UKSI. “There was nowhere they could go to recalibrate or escape the sensory intensity of the Village.”
This experience made one thing clear: neuroinclusive environments aren’t just beneficial—they’re essential.
Why It Matters: Neurodivergence in Elite Sport
Neurodivergent traits—such as hyperfocus, heightened sensory awareness, or unique thinking styles—are increasingly recognised among elite athletes. Some estimates suggest up to 70% of top performers exhibit strong neurodivergent characteristics.
Yet, the same traits that drive excellence can be undermined by environments that aren’t fit for purpose. Without access to sensory-safe spaces, overstimulation, fatigue, and burnout can build quickly—disrupting focus, decision-making, and confidence when it matters most.
“We talk a lot about resilience in sport—but for neurodivergent athletes, resilience without appropriate environments just becomes endurance. We’re asking people to perform under conditions that actively drain their cognitive capacity.”
– Caragh McMurtry, Neurodiverse Sport
The Retreat was built not as an indulgence, but as a tool for performance optimisation.
The ‘Zen Room’
Building The Retreat: From Vision to Reality
“A strong case was made for The Retreat. In an environment where space is at a premium, it’s rare to dedicate a whole apartment to something that isn’t performance testing or recovery tech. But we were clear—this was performance infrastructure.” – Amanda
Over 18 months before the Games, a collaboration began between ParalympicsGB and UKSI to design something different. When an apartment within the Village was officially designated to this project, it was reimagined—not as accommodation, but as a fully tailored neuroinclusive space.
“When we were offered a full apartment, it was a game-changer,” Amanda explained. “It gave us the flexibility to think holistically about athlete needs and create something that could truly support regulation and readiness.” - Amanda
Athletes themselves chose the name The Retreat. It wasn’t a place to withdraw from competition—but a place to prepare for it, mentally, physically, and emotionally.
The ‘Paris Perceptions Map’
Inside The Retreat: Designed for Regulation and Readiness
The Hallway: Transition with Intention
An uncluttered, accessible corridor offered a sensory “reset” between spaces—free from fluorescent lighting, visual noise, or crowding. For many, it became the decompression zone between intensity and calm.
The Paris Perceptions Map
Designed by Maimee Titmus Morris, this no-pressure check-in tool helped athletes self-monitor their mood—moving magnets across a playful city map from ‘Wobbly Waterloo’ to ‘Proud Pompidou’. It supported emotional literacy and normalised mood fluctuations without formal monitoring.
The Lounge: Regulate to Compete
Featuring soft furnishings, warm tones, and absolute quiet, the Lounge became a go-to space for athletes needing to decompress before or after events. This wasn’t about comfort for its own sake—it was about preserving energy, managing anxiety, and staying in the optimal performance zone.
The ‘Zen Room’
The Zen Room: Control Over Chaos
Adjustable lighting, varied seating, and zero performance expectation gave athletes complete autonomy. It was a place to regulate arousal levels—especially vital for those with sensory sensitivities or executive functioning challenges.
The Activity Room: Low-Stakes Stimulation
For athletes needing gentle cognitive engagement, this space offered puzzles, crafts, and quiet creative outlets—a proven method for redirecting stress and enhancing focus.
What the Athletes Said
“Athletes kept telling us this was the one space where they didn’t have to perform or mask. That really stayed with me. We often talk about recovery for the body—but recovery for the self is just as vital.” – Amanda
Feedback from athletes told a clear story:
“A brilliant space to relax and forget about being an athlete.”
“A perfect escape for the mind to allow the body to perform.”
“My favourite place in the Village.”
The common thread? Diverse Function. This space helped them stay in the game—mentally regulated, emotionally grounded, and ready to compete.
The ‘Activity Room’
What This Means for Performance, Not Just Paralympics
Elite sport chases marginal gains—fractional improvements in gear, nutrition, and training. Yet one of the greatest gains may come not from technology, but from designing environments that fit the people within them.
The Retreat wasn’t a wellbeing initiative. It was a performance intervention rooted in neuroinclusive principles.
A Model for the Future
“This isn’t about replicating The Retreat room-for-room—it’s about embedding the thinking behind it into all elite environments. If we don’t address neuroinclusion upstream in talent pathways and training centres, we’re losing athletes before they even get to Games time.” – Caragh McMurtry, Neurodiverse Sport
As the Olympic cycle turns toward LA 2028, the question is not whether The Retreat should be repeated—but why it isn’t already a standard. Neurodivergent athletes compete at the highest level; their success is maximised when environments meet their needs.
The next challenge? Scaling this model—not just for future Games, but for training environments, talent pathways, and other high-performance settings.
Because when we design for difference, we design for success.
With thanks
With thanks to the athletes who helped shape and name The Retreat, and to the multidisciplinary team across ParalympicsGB who made it a reality.
This article is based on original reporting by Olivia Rae and draws on in-depth interviews with Dr Amanda Gatherer, Mental Health Lead at the UK Sports Institute. It was written as a collaboration between Olivia Rae, Caragh McMurtry (Neurodiverse Sport) Dr Amanda Gatherer (UK Sports Institute), and Jonathon Riall (Paralympics GB).