Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Hans Christian Andersen, Charles Darwin, Michelangelo and many, many others have one common trait. They all had a form of ASPERGERS or AUTISM. Before you read this blog, I bet you didn’t know that, I bet you’re wondering how on earth they accomplished so much with such a disadvantage, well they didn’t have a disadvantage they had a talent, a talent nobody sees but them and me, as I have Aspergers and I know how they think, they think different and it’s this difference that makes me and them so amazing and running makes this difference even more amazing.

Focus

I have the most incredibly ability to focus, when I run I can focus in on my objective whatever distance that maybe, a marathon, half marathon or dare I say it, ultra marathon. This focus means I can get a task done without being distracted, in the workplace, for example, I can sit in the office all day with no music just the focus and drive to succeed and get a task done without having to talk about nonsense. I can run on the treadmill with no music, nothing, just the sound of steps pattering away. I don’t get bored, I don’t lose focus, I don’t drift off, it’s this focus that’s made me who I am today. I went to University, I wrote my dissertation before the end of October, that’s a 10,000 word essay by the way, it wasn’t due until May the following year. Focus and success will come, it’s one common trait amongst us with autism and it’s something not many people see.

Organisation

If you want to know what real organisation is, look no further than me. I work Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, commute an hour a day and still find time to go to the gym twice a week, run several runs a week, set up this blog which by the way I’m writing now, launch my own running group click here to find out more, manage a car insurance claim, strength train every morning, watch TV and sleep. How on earth do I do it? ORGANISATION! I know what I’m doing tomorrow, the next and the next day. Tomorrow’s Saturday, so I’m running a long run in the morning, hoovering the house, getting the shopping in, visiting my Nan and then watching Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway!

“Listen to me, Aspergers or autism for that matter is a talent, we’re being told we have a disability, a weakness, we can’t do things other people can, it’s RUBBISH, we have a talent, use it and the MAGIC will happen!”

I’m aware my blog’s becoming a book so I’ll start to conclude, might just have to think about writing one, HINT, HINT. Having Aspergers makes it extremely difficult when it comes to new challenges, one thing that’s helped me is running. Running’s given me so much more confidence, as I’ve said before I organised my own raffle last year, I’ve just started using the phone at work and I really feel it’s made me a whole new person. If you’re reading with Aspergers and you’re feeling down and wondering why you are on this earth, listen to me. Aspergers or autism for that matter is a talent, we’re being told we have a disability, a weakness, we can’t do things other people can, it’s RUBBISH, we have a talent, use it and the MAGIC will happen!