Understanding Difference to Make a Difference

Neurodiversity, mental health and what we can learn from elite sport

Keynote-style Q&A: professional basketball player Kofi Josephs

What happens when difference is misunderstood?
And what becomes possible when it is understood?

As part of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, Neurodiverse Sport invites you to an honest online conversation exploring neurodiversity, mental health and performance in elite sport.

This is not a motivational talk.
It is a systems conversation.

Professional basketball player Kofi Josephs will speak candidly about his journey through elite sport, including:

• Growing up undiagnosed with ADHD and autistic traits
• Being labelled “difficult” and misunderstood
• The pressure of elite performance environments
• Sport as a safe space — and the barriers that remain even at the highest level
• The paradox of disclosure, perception and trust

Kofi will reflect on how behaviours often interpreted as attitude or personality can in fact be regulation, focus, or survival strategies.

He will also explore the idea of alignment — what it feels like to fit, and what it costs when you don’t.

The conversation will be hosted by Zoe-Jane Littlewood, Neurodiverse Sport’s Education and Skills Lead, and will include opportunities for audience questions and discussion.

Together we will explore what elite sport can teach us about:

• misunderstanding and performance
• the mental health impact of non-inclusive environments
• and how systems can be designed so more people are able to thrive.

This event will be particularly valuable for athletes, coaches, practitioners, and anyone interested in building more neuroinclusive environments in sport.

Key Takeaway

Understanding difference is not about protection alone.It is about performance, safety and sustainability.

If we understand difference, we do not just reduce harm — we unlock potential.

About Kofi

Kofi Josephs is a professional basketball player who has represented both Great Britain and England, including at the Commonwealth Games. Raised in inner-city Birmingham, his career has taken him across the UK, Europe, and the United States. Alongside his achievements on the court, Kofi is an outspoken advocate for mental health and neurodiversity in sport, drawing on his own lived experience of growing up with undiagnosed ADHD and autistic traits. He is the founder of WhyNotI, a mental health technology platform designed to help elite sports organisations better understand and support athlete wellbeing. Through speaking, writing, and community work, Kofi aims to challenge stigma and help create sporting environments where more people can thrive.

About Neurodiverse Sport

Neurodiverse Sport works across grassroots and elite environments to embed neuroinclusive practice in sport. We focus on understanding traits, adapting environments and unlocking performance through alignment rather than assimilation.

Cameras on (where possible)

We fully recognise that keeping cameras off may be necessary for some people due to accessibility needs, sensory considerations, privacy, or personal circumstances. If this applies to you, please feel free to keep your camera off — you are still very welcome to participate.

You can engage in other ways throughout the session, including contributing reflections or questions via the chat.