Communicating the point

In 2023, I was offered the opportunity to become a contributor for two national newspapers. The Irish Field and the Irish Farmers Journal are the two most often read publications in this house, and it still feels surreal seeing my name in print.

In November 2023, I was asked to write a 2000 word article about neurodiversity in equestrianism for The Irish Field. I was not given a deadline, which was just as well because I really had to wrestle with it to get it right!

The topic is an important one to me, because I have a dual diagnosis of ADHD, Dyspraxia and Dyscalculia. Being able to bring to life the real and debilitating daily struggles experienced by equestrians who are neurodivergent, was both challenging and a privilege. Working as a 'translator' between the neurodivergent and neurotypical worlds was not something that I took lightly.

This article remains the most important thing I have written. As an added bonus, it was well received by the equestrian community, achieving the number 1 most read article in the online version over the weekend immediately following publication.

Being neurodivergent makes some parts of life quite difficult, but it does help me to excel as a writer. Being able to retain large amounts of information is a huge asset when writing research articles. I mentally 'see' everything with great depth, colour and dimension, allowing me to write with creativity and flair. I can find a hundred new ways to solve an old problem. These assets all help me exponentially in my role as a writer, journalist and content consultant.

Read my neurodiversity article here-

https://www.theirishfield.ie/how-does-it-feel-to-be-a-neurodivergent-equestrian-790328