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.

In this moving reflection, former international cricketer Olivia Rae shares her experience of attending the first in-person Neurodiverse Sport event during Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2024. Through personal stories of survival mode, miscommunication, and finally, recognition, Olivia shows how neuroinclusive environments can create powerful moments of connection and change. This is a story of ripples becoming waves—and how small acts of understanding can leave a lasting impact.