Running and autism

By Mandy Williams

When Mandy Williams received an autism diagnosis in her mid-40s, many things fell into place – including how stressful she found the social aspects of group running. Now she plans to change that, and is partnering with jogscotland to pilot a jogging group tailored to the needs of autistic runners....

I started running to get fit for an RAF application medical while at Stirling University. Before that, I didn’t participate in any sports, and it’s fair to say I didn’t enjoy any physical activities. I then started to enjoy running and used it to relieve stress while raising a family. However, once I find something I enjoy, it soon becomes a special interest. I started running marathons, triathlons, ultras, then mountain running, running for the GB Masters team at the Worlds and getting a bronze.

Mandy competed for the GB Masters team

It was my partner who encouraged me to get help for my anxiety and mental exhaustion. Then I was diagnosed as autistic at 45 (I’m now 47), and it was lifechanging, I finally feel like I can accept who I am and be myself. I had always struggled with anxiety and depression, and now I can look back and understand the triggers – sensory, social occasions, changes in routines etc. I never understood how I felt so different to my peers and I felt like I spoke a different language. I tended to do everything to the extreme and become hyper-focused, which can be amazing, but also led to poor mental and physical health if not monitored or regulated. However, masking is a huge part of autism - women especially learn from an early age how to fit in and pretend to be someone else for social acceptance. After I was diagnosed I have learnt to unmask and now finally live an authentic life.

One thing was how challenging I found being a part of an athletics club, and I would hide and cry in the car before any training. The social aspect of club running was more challenging work than the physical training and left me emotionally exhausted afterwards.

After my diagnosis, I finally understood my relationship with running, the rhythm, the routines, and the only wanting to run alone in silence. I could run for hours alone and be so free and happy – it was an escape from the “real world” I found so exhausting. However, I also understood how I could be very suspectable to overtraining and not listen to signals such as pain from injury or adapting my training at any time. Tapering for a race or having a rest day was impossible as it broke my routine.

I found a lack of autistic athlete role models, especially for women. I also found so many excellent benefits for my mental health that came from exercise, and I wanted to share these with others who also may be struggling. These two things inspired me to look at setting up autistic-friendly groups. So many barriers needed to be removed. Everyone is different, but barriers can include big groups, bright lights on a track, noisy running routes, social set-ups around groups. Everything has been designed with a neurotypical runner in mind. I wanted to set up groups that allowed autistic people to enjoy running.

I work for a Scottish charity called SWAN (Scottish Women’s Autism Network), a new job I started after my diagnosis. It is autistic-led, and I manage a team of 26 amazing autistic volunteers. I have never been happier in my work life, working alongside autistic people. Through SWAN, in partnership with jogscotland, we are looking at starting a pilot autism jogscotland group in the spring. I am so excited to inspire and advise other autistic people on how to enjoy exercise.

It doesn’t have to be difficult – for example, having smaller groups, quiet routes, and telling everyone in advance what to expect, can all make group exercise much more accessible for autistic runners.

As well as running, I now lift weights and compete in Hyrox, which combines running with obstacle stations. I’m only just getting started, and at 47 years old I have never been fitter!