THE FOUNDER of a specialist school has taken on one of the world’s toughest endurance challenges to show that ADHD should never be a barrier to achieving ambitions.
Callum Siddall, founder and director of Chances Mentoring, competed in the Ironman 70.3 Türkiye in Belek, Antalya, on November 1.
The event, which took place at the end of ADHD Awareness Month, saw Mr Siddall complete a 1.9km swim, a 90km cycle ride and a 21.1km half-marathon run in succession.
And he did the lot in just under six hours.
Mr Siddall, who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), regularly competes in endurance events as a hybrid athlete.
And high-intensity sport has become an important way of managing his energy and helping him focus.
“People still see ADHD as something that holds you back,” he said.
“For me, it’s part of how I’m wired, and I’ve learned to work with it rather than against it. Training gives my brain somewhere to go.
“When I’m out on the bike or in the water, everything quietens down and I can think clearly.
“I didn’t want my diagnosis to decide what I could or couldn’t do, and I don’t want it to decide that for anyone else either.”
Chances Mentoring was founded in 2022 and operates as an independent specialist school and alternative provision for young people who have struggled to thrive in mainstream education.
The provision was commended by Ofsted for meeting a “strong standard” of inclusion during its most recent inspection.
Drawing on his own experiences, Mr Siddall hopes his challenge will encourage students facing similar difficulties to recognise their own potential.
He added: “A lot of the young people we work with have been told, in one way or another, that they’re the problem. I know what that feels like.
“What I want them, and the adults around them, to understand is that ADHD comes with real strengths. With the right support and the right outlet, it can be the thing that drives you forward.
“If crossing a finish line in Türkiye helps one young person believe they can do something big, then it’s worth every single mile.”
ADHD Awareness Month takes place throughout October, raising understanding of the condition and challenging misconceptions surrounding neurodiversity.
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