We are your sensory safe place if it all feels too much on the day. We will have sensory tools, a quiet area and neurodivergent people who are here to look after you. You can find out about my offers especially for neurodivergent women and see how I can help you after the event as well.

Large-scale swimming events can be incredible. The water. The sense of achievement. The collective buzz of people doing something brave and a bit wild together.

And… they can also feel a lot.

If you’re a neurodivergent woman, you might already be thinking:

• What if it’s too noisy or chaotic?

• What if I feel overwhelmed or shut down?

• What if I don’t know where to go or who to talk to?

• What if I feel awkward, shy, or on the outside?

Zoe Carroll and a team of neurodivergent women from the Activate YOU programme will be on hand to support you every step of the way. Here are 5 ways you can prepare for the event.

We are supporting The Big Swim because cold water exposure has benefitted so many of our neurodivergent members and because it aligns with our  ethos of community and belonging, regulating before creating and being completely yourself.

Not only is this likely to be a record-breaking event in its own right, but it demonstrates just what can be achieved when swimmers, sponsors, partners and volunteers come together and support each other.

This weekend, I worked with a client who has lived with chronic pain for most of her life.

Every month, her periods brought intense pain, cramping, mood swings, and an overwhelming urge to withdraw. She wanted to shut herself away in her bedroom and be left alone until it passed.

Over time, this pattern had begun to affect every part of her life: her relationships, her work, and her overall quality of life.

Because she had worked with me before, she was familiar with the CRASH framework I use to explore how the mind and body are responding under stress.