Who am I:

My name is Emanuel Silveira. I am in my last year of a BSc in Strength and Conditioning at the University of Abertay, outcome prediction of 1:1 at graduation. Alongside my studies, I have had the opportunity to coach Division 1 American Football at the University of Washington and Professional Boxers through their gym and land-based training programmes.

I was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia in my 20s. Although it didn't come as a shock to me, I felt relief to know there was an answer for the struggles I had faced since I was a child. I embrace having ADHD and Dyslexia, especially as an adult. However, I know that none of those things define who I am - they are simply part of me. That being said, it's not to say this journey has been straightforward. The first hurdle I faced was getting the diagnosis, as there's not a lot of understanding in adult ADHD amongst GP's. Although I was able to find a GP that truly vouched for me and my diagnosis, I've also had my fair share of negative experiences. I've been told at first they wouldn't bother putting a referral through, as it would take too long and there was nothing they could do. I was told by a GP that I'm an adult, and if I've dealt with my symptoms this long, then I can continue and I need to manage my stress better. This occasion left me extremely disappointed at the way adult ADHD is handled, as I had phoned after experiencing an emotional breakdown due to an override of my symptoms and no help or answers being given.

I don't want anyone reading this to feel discouraged about getting a possible diagnosis. I encourage anyone to advocate for themselves, but it goes to show there's still a lot of change that needs to happen - especially with the support and understanding from GP's.

How does ADHD impact me:

People will often think of someone with ADHD who can't sit still or someone who constantly does things for attention and is hyperactive. ADHD impacts everyone differently, and it is not always something lighthearted as the media often portray it as.

On a serious note, ADHD impacts me from my focus, to ability to complete things, my emotions to even my relationships with people. I tend to struggle with concentrating for long periods of time. I will have hyperfixations on hobbies, activities etc, where I will forget all other important tasks in my life to solely focus on whatever I'm hyperfixated on at the moment. In the past this has involved painting surfboards, gardening, crocheting, painting, building video games, embroidery etc. My hyperfixation/focus at times feels like a double-edged sword as it can make me more productive, but it can also make me miss important deadlines and details. ADHD also makes me more impulsive and at times can struggle with self-control. Leading into lack of patience, I blurt things out without thinking, I struggle to wait for people to stop talking and will interrupt often. My impulsivity makes me more prone to taking risks and completing tasks without thinking things through and its consequences.

I find regulating my emotions quite difficult as it feels my mind is constantly racing and on overdrive. This can happen especially if I'm hyperfocusing on a set task and forgetting everything else that needs tending to. This will lead to extreme emotional breakdowns that consume my thought process and from there, it is hard to return to a place where I see hope. This goes hand in hand with experiencing sensory overload, especially noise sensitivity, which can be difficult to shake off.

If people don't reach out to me, I tend to forget they exist. Particularly my family and friends, there are often times where I can go months without speaking to my loved ones. This causes a great deal of guilt and anxiety as I feel like a horrible friend/son/brother, partner etc. ADHD impacts my ability to remember things, leading me to be quite forgetful. I'll often forget where I put things, everyday tasks etc. This makes me feel frustrated and at times embarrassed as I feel like an inconvenience. I'm having to ask other people for help or admit to forgetting something that may seem simple to someone without ADHD.

That being said, ADHD can cause some humorous moments between me and my loved ones. For example, I have forgotten that I drove to university only to remember after walking home... which takes 20 minutes.

Boiling the kettle 3 times before making a coffee because I keep walking away and forgetting.

I was making myself a bagel with peanut butter and to avoid placing the bagel on the counter, I placed it on top of the peanut butter which I then proceeded to spend 30 minutes looking for the peanut butter.

Why I am running a marathon:

I want to change the way ADHD is looked at and ignored by health professionals (not all but most). I want to advocate and be the voice for people struggling with this condition and get people the right resources to improve their life conditions.

SO...

I have partnered with ADHD UK, who is a registered charity built by people with ADHD, for people with ADHD.

They provide free support and resources, to undertake and fund vital research, and fight for equal opportunities for ADHD-ers.

Keep up with me:

I will be documenting my whole journey through social media, uploading all my training and hopefully you can join me on race day!!

Instagram - @_coachmanny_

TikTok - @_coachmanny_

Youtube - @primitiveathletix