The founder of a specialist school in Oldham is taking on an intense triathlon challenge in Türkiye at the end of ADHD Awareness Month to demonstrate that neurodiversity should never be viewed as a barrier to success.
Callum Siddall, founder and director of Chances Mentoring in Chadderton, will compete in the Ironman 70.3 Türkiye in Belek, Antalya, on November 1. The demanding event requires participants to navigate a 1.9km swim, a 90km cycle ride, and a 21.1km half-marathon run in rapid succession.
Mr Siddall, who is open about his diagnosis with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), regularly competes as a hybrid athlete in endurance events. He credits high-intensity sport with providing a vital mechanism to channel his energy and focus his mind.
Speaking ahead of the competition, Mr Siddall said: “People still see ADHD as something that holds you back. 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.”
Founded in 2022, Chances Mentoring operates as an independent specialist school and alternative provision for young people who have struggled to thrive within mainstream educational environments. Ofsted inspectors commended the provision for meeting a “strong standard” of inclusion during its most recent inspection.
Drawing on his personal experience, Mr Siddall aims to inspire students facing similar challenges to reframe how they view 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 is observed globally throughout October to raise understanding and challenge misconceptions surrounding the condition.
