Churchill awarded to explore best practice for neuroinclusion in sport
The original article appeared here.
Erin is one of 100 everyday Australians awarded a Churchill Fellowship for 2025.
A new group of 100 Churchill Fellows has been announced today—everyday Australians who will travel around the world in search of solutions to real-world problems.
In her project titled Investigating international best practice for neuroinclusion in elite sport, Erin will engage with international sporting codes to investigate best practices for neuroinclusion for athletes. It builds upon research led by Erin indicating the importance of neurodiversity in high performance settings.
‘Neurodivergence (e.g., ADHD and autism) among elite athletes may be higher than that of the general population, owing to the unique characteristics of sport in energy output, routine, strict goal related behaviours, and other important features. Fostering neurodivergent talent has been common practice for some time in other high performance settings such as the corporate sector’ said Erin.
‘Despite this knowledge, we are yet to see shifts in Australian elite support towards neuroinclusivity. This is a significant missed opportunity for athlete wellbeing, enhanced high performance, and elite sport paving the way for a shifts at community level in which neurodiversity is celebrated.
‘In this Fellowship, I will address this through engaging with international sporting codes to investigate best practices for neuroinclusion for athletes.’
Churchill Fellowships are awarded to Australians from all walks of life—teachers, artists, nurses, scientists, and volunteers—who are driven by a desire to make change.
Erin reflected on her desire to make change. ‘All people deserve to benefit from sport, and all communities deserve positive mental health and wellbeing. I believe neurodiversity is a fundamental concept of great current and future importance in Australian sport’.
Erin thanked the generous support the Churchill Trust, and acknowledged the wider international neurodiversity athlete community.
‘Through the generous support of this Churchill Fellowship, I will learn from international high performance sport experts on how to ensure neuroinclusive sporting systems. It will support strengthened international networks to ensure collective shared learnings, coordinated action, and a future whereby sport is truly responsive to neurodiversity. I will seek to ensure inclusion is fully harnessed to offset mental ill health risks, and as a high performance enabler.’
‘In accepting this Fellowship I acknowledge the on-going advocacy of the international neurodivergent athlete community who are leading change. I’d like to specifically acknowledge Caragh McMurtry (Founder, Neurodiverse Sport, former British Olympic Rower) who is the leader and pioneer for neurodiversity in sport. It is a great privilege to continue to learn from Caragh and her team’s expertise’.
‘This Churchill Fellowship will contribute to ensuring a neuroinclusive sporting future for Australia.’
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For inquiries, contact hello@erinhoare.com
For sporting codes and/or athletes who would like to engage with this work, please contact hello@erinhoare.com
