Unapologetically Living YOUR Life and Mapping the Way Forward
Written by Olivia Rae. Subheadings added by the Neurodiverse Sport team to support readability.
This blog features the reflections of Olivia Rae, a former professional women’s cricket player who was diagnosed with Autism and ADHD in her mid-thirties. Olivia shares her journey through sport, self-discovery, and mental health, and explores how understanding her neurodivergence helped her start a new chapter in life.
Olivia Rae, Former Scottish International Cricketer
The Win That Took 35 Years
You can’t follow a map if you don’t know where you are to start with. You can try, but you’ll keep getting lost.
The story I’m about to share isn’t a traditional success story—there are no gold medals or world records. But I’ve recently won something that took 35 years of commitment, perseverance, and strength. And to me, it’s the most important win of all.
The real wins are life wins.
The Pre-Diagnosis Years: Just Playing
Before my diagnosis of Autism and ADHD in 2022, I spent nearly 35 years in the “pre-diagnosis phase.” It’s hard to summarise that time, because so much happened, and it shaped me.
As a child, I played every sport I could. At 18, I chose to focus on cricket. Sport gave me some of my greatest lows—but also a better life. In inclusive environments where I could JUST PLAY, I thrived.
Diagnosis: A Map With No Starting Point
My diagnosis felt like being handed a map—except I had no idea how to read it, or where I was starting from.
It gave me a reason why I’d always felt different. Why I clashed with expectations. Why I found things harder, or more intense, than others seemed to. It felt empowering and validating. I owned it. I disclosed it openly.
But disclosure wasn’t enough.
People still expected the same from me. I expected the same from myself. I was trying to do life the same way—with the same tools—but in a completely different operating system.
And again, I found myself overwhelmed. Mentally struggling. Feeling hopeless about the future.
Finding My Bearings
Olivia Rae, Former Scottish International Cricketer
When you get lost, you ask for help. But I didn’t even realise how lost I was—until I got the right kind of support.
2024 has been game-changing. I stepped off the NHS waiting lists and started to discover what Autism and ADHD really mean for me.
I began to understand my sensitivities, how my brain processes information, and how I’d been measuring my experience against a neurotype that wasn’t mine.
I wasn’t broken. I’d just been using the wrong map.
Medication for ADHD gave me my first real sense of what controlled concentration feels like. Tasks that once seemed impossible suddenly became doable.
I finally knew where I was. I had the right tools, support, and signposts. That was the beginning of a new path.
It’s Not What Happened—It’s Why
One of the biggest shifts in mindset was this: it’s not just what happened that shapes you, but why it happened—and how your brain responded.
When you learn how your brain works, you can look back and say, “Ah. That’s why.” That self-understanding becomes a powerful starting point.
I used to think my conditions were what held me back. Now I know it was how I tried to approach the world despite those conditions. When I work with my neurodivergence—not against it—so much more becomes possible.
I’m not just surviving anymore. I’m building a life that feels sustainable. A life that fits.
Inclusive Environments Make the Difference
It’s not all down to personal resilience. Inclusive environments change everything.
When environments are set up to accommodate neurodivergence, people like me don’t just get by—we grow. We thrive. We bring our best. We feel like we belong.
That’s what sport gave me in the right settings: space to JUST PLAY. That’s what I want more people to experience—on and off the field.
Olivia Rae, Former Scottish International Cricketer
Mapping a New Kind of Success
I’m realising that life isn’t a destination—it’s a feeling.
The feeling of belonging. Of being energised. Of being able to JUST PLAY.
I’m mapping out what makes me feel most like me:
The things I enjoy
How I can do them sustainably
Where I feel understood and accepted
And I want to help others do the same.
Creating Inclusive Spaces in Sport and Beyond
My mission now is to show that sport, and society more broadly, can support neurodivergent people better. We don’t need to be “fixed.” We need to be understood, included, and supported.
Sport has a huge role to play in that shift. When we design environments that reduce mental strain and allow people to just be, everyone benefits.
The Real Win: Living Unapologetically
I’ve learned to put myself first—not selfishly, but authentically.
Getting diagnosed wasn’t the win I thought it was. The real win was discovering I never needed to change who I am. I just needed to understand myself—and stop apologising for it.
True success isn’t a moment. It’s a practice. A commitment to knowing yourself, accepting yourself, and living as you are—every day.
That’s the kind of winning I’m here for.
Unapologetically living YOUR life.
If You’d Like to Hear More From Olivia…
Follow her on Instagram, Twitter, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
Key Takeaways from Olivia’s Story
For Neurodivergent Individuals:
Diagnosis can offer clarity—but the real journey begins with understanding yourself.
Don’t be afraid to rethink how you do things. There is no one “right” way.
You deserve to live life on your terms, not by someone else’s standard.
For Peers and Supporters:
Support doesn’t stop at diagnosis. Real change comes from day-to-day adjustments and understanding.
Be patient. Neurodivergent people may look like they’re coping, but inside, they might be overwhelmed.
Help others get to know themselves—without judgment or expectation.
For Coaches, Leaders, and Organisations:
Create spaces where people can JUST PLAY. Reduce mental strain. Increase belonging.
Neurodivergence isn’t a barrier to performance—it’s a difference that needs to be supported.
Inclusion starts with asking: “What do you need to thrive here?”
Written by Olivia Rae