When ADHD makes you a legend

The Olympic Games are a great time to remember our greatest inspirations

The absolutely incredible and amazing Simone Biles has just won another gold medal in these ongoing Olympic Games, together with her team. She is now officially the most decorated American gymnast in the history of the Olympic Games with eight medals. For her unmatched skill level, consistency and dominance, innovation, mental toughness, versatility, and impact on the sport, she is often considered the GOAT—The Greatest of All Time.

When we consider who was the most decorated Olympic athlete in the entire history of the Games, we arrive at the legendary name of Michael Phelps. This American swimmer is the most awarded Olympian of all time, having won a record 28 medals, 23 of which are gold.

These two are examples of people who have achieved more than the highest level of performance ever witnessed in their respective sports. They are among those who have managed their skills to reach the highest standards of excellence in whatever activity someone dedicates themselves to.

But excellence is not the only common trait between them. You might be surprised to learn that they also share something else:

They are both diagnosed with ADHD.

Both have spoken openly about the subject several times and have done a great service to the neurodiverse community by helping to demystify mental issues in general and ADHD in particular among the public.

Michael, diagnosed at 9 years old, said that he felt calmer when he was in the water, crediting the swimming pool as a sanctuary for his hyperactive condition. "I noticed that the more time I spent in the water, the more at ease I felt. I made the decision to continue because it was thrilling and difficult.” He recalls one particular situation when a teacher told his mother that Michael "would never be able to focus on anything."

Simone, whose favorite place to be was the trampoline in her grandparents’ backyard and who was so hyperactive that she could never sit still, also discovered her ADHD when she was 9 years old. Her supportive family soon realized that what made it hard for her to concentrate in school also made her an amazing gymnast: her grandmother enrolled Simone in gymnastics lessons to channel her energy and natural talent.

The rest is the history we know.

Simone's success is a testament to her personal courage and resilience. She has never shied away from acknowledging the additional challenges someone with ADHD faces, especially the self-doubt and perfectionism that often manifest as impostor syndrome. “The challenges we face help define who we are,” she once wrote. “My challenge is also my superpower: ADHD.”

She was referring to how gymnastics lessons channeled her energy and personal talent, directing her hyperfocus into creativity and performance. This critical factor allowed her to achieve the pinnacle of possible results.

If you have ADHD like me, or suspect that you do, Michael Phelps and Simone Biles are not only formidable personalities but also real inspirations for how high we can reach if we exercise self-awareness and manage our goals according to our strengths.

Having ADHD is definitely a challenging condition, and many times we feel that we'll never succeed in anything. But what if Michael and Simone had once thought the same? The world would be devoid of these absolute legends.

Legends who understood their condition and learned to leverage it. Legends who certainly had to fight against their self-doubt and likely thought about giving up many times. But they held on and, because of that, achieved the glory we know today.

Simone and Michael, my dear fellow ADHDer, are no different from you and me. The excellence they have reached in their respective fields is the same excellence we are perfectly capable of reaching in our own fields, provided we find similar systems and methods to handle and execute in our lives.

We don’t necessarily need to be GOATs like them. Simone and Michael are reminders that ADHD does not have to be a constraint in our lives but can also be a source of differential strength.

And like me, I’m sure most of you don’t really have the intention to be a GOAT. We just want to manage our time and effort into practical projects that ADHD makes harder to perform but can be overcome to bring positive results.

But if you do want to be a GOAT, know that there is nothing blocking you from that. Simone and Michael are there to clearly remind us of that!