Supporting lifestyle and personal development coaches in elite sport

The challenge

Practitioners supporting elite athletes face a unique challenge: how to help individuals maintain balanced lifestyles while navigating the demands of competitive sport, and the often difficult transition out of it. Increasingly, coaches and development practitioners were noticing signs of neurodivergent traits among the athletes they supported, but many lacked the confidence, knowledge, or clarity to respond effectively.

What we found

There was a clear appetite among practitioners to better understand how neurodivergence shows up in high-performance environments. They wanted practical insight into how traits such as ADHD or autism might affect focus, transitions, lifestyle decisions, and well-being. More importantly, they needed support in adapting their conversations and coaching relationships to be more inclusive and effective.

What we did

At the invitation of Liz Egan, who leads the International Lifestyle and Personal Development Practitioners’ Forum, Nathan Whitbread delivered a tailored session for coaches and practitioners working at the intersection of performance and wellbeing. The session was designed to be both informative and conversational, encouraging reflection and discussion alongside practical learning.

Rather than offering generic advice, we focused on the realities of supporting neurodivergent individuals through periods of change, identity shifts, and high cognitive load. Nathan introduced neurodiversity-informed concepts grounded in sport-specific contexts, offering real-world strategies for building stronger, more responsive relationships.

The results

Feedback from the session was deeply affirming. Participants appreciated the balance of insight and action, and left with practical tools they could use immediately in their work. Liz Egan shared the following testimonial:

“Nathan delivered a session this morning for the International Lifestyle and Personal Development Practitioners’ Forum, a group that I run for people working in sport. The session was informative and thought-provoking. Nathan took care to ensure that the session was pitched at the right level and relevant for the attendees. We all left with ideas on how we can make simple adjustments to the way in which we work to have a profound impact on those we support. I would highly recommend Nathan and the work he does. Thank you.

The session demonstrated the power of small shifts in awareness and approach, particularly in environments where performance and well-being must go hand in hand.