Our Mission

The what

Perform Unbound is a dynamic platform designed to promote the positive intersection between neuro-diversity/disability/personal challenges and adventure sport. - with education and performance training empowering individuals get the best from themselves. To open up people's minds to what they are capable of. The initiative seeks to create a space where individuals with differently wired minds or who have gone through transformative experiences can share stories and experiences to both educate and inspire, to create better understanding and empathy. 

 

The focus

Perform Unbound aims to dismantle misconceptions surrounding neuro-diversity and individuals' abilities by showcasing how adventure sports can serve as a key enabler for individuals with unique cognitive processes and what we are capable of both physically and mentally. 

 

The how

Through education, coaching, content creation and storytelling, the platform will emphasise how adventure sports go beyond conventional education, providing opportunities for personal development and the discovery of individual competencies and skills. 

 

The website, podcasts and associated social media platforms will serve as a hub for individuals to share: 

- their neuro-diverse experiences, tips, and strategies

- their stories of adventure sport, - personal journeys as well as racing - overcoming challenging circumstances and societal preconceptions

- by bringing forth diverse voices from the neuro-divergent community, athletes overcoming challenges, and individuals supporting neuro-divergent friends or family members. Anyone who engages in sport is athletic. 

​

The aims - to empower and inspire

The project aims to challenge societal norms by portraying:

- neuro-diversity not as an illness but as a unique way of processing information and how our unique skills are a positive within society and the work place

- challenging the narrative of 'I can't/shouldn't because' to 'how can i?' for activity and sport at any level.

It seeks to encourage a shift in perceptions, such as for children who might be mislabelled as troublesome or incapable or where disability should mean exclusion from adventure sport.

 

Perform Unbound aspires to inspire neuro-divergent and challenged  individuals to discover their own 'adventure sports' or activities that resonate with them, aiding in navigating the complexities of life and finding a way to fit activity for improved health into busy lives. 

 

The platform will curate content and stories showcasing the capabilities of neuro-diverse minds in adventure sports events as well as the workplace. This content aims to inspire and provide practical insights for managing traits that might be challenging to others.

​

The why - my personal experience

The driving force behind Perform Unbound is my own transformative experience with adventure sports, I was diagnosed with degenerative lumbar disc disease at 33 and was subsequently advised to avoid 'aggravating' sports such as trail running and off-road cycling, the two exact sports that enabled me to navigate life when I didn't understand why I was 'different'. Along with strength training I refused to let the diagnosis define what I could do.

 

I was then diagnosed at 35 with organisational dyslexia and later recognised all the main characteristics of ADD and mild autism, Adventure sports had become a powerful tool for focusing my mind, building confidence. and a connection to people and life that I wouldn't have otherwise had. My journey, filled with challenges and victories, fuels my commitment to advocating for the neuro-divergent community and the community of inspirational athletes who look beyond their challenges.