Including the word ‘sunshine’ in the title during a period of torrential rain in the UK feels a little strange.
But, for me, there has been lots to smile about since I received my autism diagnosis in the Summer. While I journal daily, I don’t sit back and reflect from a distance, and I want to use this Substack to do just that. So, what’s happened since the diagnosis?
Kindness
Pressing ‘Publish’ on my previous post felt like an ‘oh s…’ moment! But in a good way. This thing that I had thought about for a while was now a reality. Publishing the article lifted a weight off my shoulders. No longer was I keeping a secret, and the news was now in the open. Most importantly, I did it my way and no one outed me. I’m grateful for all the support that I’ve had since, both inside and outside of work.
Inside of work, I’ve gone through the occupational health assessment process, which I’ve found to be extremely useful, and would encourage anyone in a similar position to do as well. At first, I was reluctant to go through the process, but as it turns out, it has been a valuable exercise. Ultimately though, it is for me to implement the recommendations, which I have already started to do.
I’ve been more open with colleagues about my diagnosis, presenting a slide pack on my experience, Autism and I, in a divisional call with around 50 people dialling in. Even if the talk only helps one person, it is job done in my eyes. I want to break down the barriers around autism. It shouldn’t be seen as a ‘dirty’ word that no one can mention. There’s been something good talking about neurodiversity with friends, in some cases watching them do the AQ50 test in front of me!
I’m so thankful to have a great bunch of people around me, and long may that continue.
New horizons
I went to the F1 Exhibition on September 10th at the ExCeL London, the exhibition going beyond what I expected. The touring exhibition focuses on F1’s history right from the birth of Grand Prix racing through to present day.
Split into different rooms, the exhibition covers every aspect of F1. Care and attention were clear throughout, with a focus on all the different roles that make up an individual race team. I expected to race around the rooms, but instead, I found myself immersed in the exhibition for around two hours. There’s something for both fans new and old to whet the appetite (if time allows, I may post a more thorough review here).
From there, I stayed in London for the Databricks Data + AI World Tour, which was really good for meeting up with colleagues and hearing more about the Databricks roadmap. At work, an hour doesn’t pass without a Databricks mention, with DfE’s enterprise analytical platforms being rebuilt in Databricks.
My link here is that I’m the Lead Data Engineer and Service Owner for one of DfE’s Further Education data modelling services, and we’re leveraging the Databricks medallion architecture. We completed our second major release last week, a huge achievement for the team, with more to come. My view is that ‘being good is not good enough’ when it comes to new services, and we should strive to be the benchmark for others across government to learn from.
A journey into Wales followed for a much-needed weekend away, and plenty of time in the hot tub and pool. Which is an interesting comment for someone who cannot swim, a statement that I’m keen to change over the next few months.
And staying on the ‘new’ theme, I attended my first indoor gig as the Autumn drew ever near. A friend introduced me to Ocean Alley a couple of years ago, and I’m very glad I didn’t bail out of attending at the last minute.
Being around alcohol, loud noise, flashing lights and confined spaces is not the best recipe for an anxious autistic person who does not drink! Travelling to and from the venue also causes anxieties of its own. Thankfully, the concert itself was awesome, and hopefully it won’t be the last time that I get to see the Australian rock band up close. Next up: Maximo Park later this month, followed by Nemo in March.
Personal bests
Trail running is not my thing. Or, at least it wasn’t my thing. Until the Kielder Half Marathon a few weeks ago. I’ve tried to complete trail races before in questionable weather conditions. I bailed out of a 10-mile race half way through in early 2022 due to torrential rain, which turned the trail paths into a lake. The experience put me off trail running, opting instead to stick to the ‘safer’ tarmac routes.
Kielder was my first proper foray back into trail races, outside of training runs. It was my first half marathon since the Great Bristol Run in May, itself a challenging race owing to prior injuries. Kielder was meant to be a ‘go out and enjoy it’ run, ahead of the Silverstone Half Marathon at the end of November. It was never meant to be a PB attempt. What happened?
I beat my personal best by over a minute! I completed the Kielder half in 2 hours and 3 minutes, a complete surprise to myself. How? I started steady in the first kilometre, and sped up from the second kilometre onwards rather than launching off the start line. There are many other reasons why the PB has happened now (having a personal trainer, consistent running patterns), but that’s a subject for another post where I’ll dive more into running. For now, I’m just celebrating the PB.
Let’s talk Motorsport Broadcasting
As some of you will be aware, I created the Motorsport Broadcasting website (then The F1 Broadcasting Blog) back in 2012, owing to my love for all things motor sport and broadcasting. I still write content; however, the number of articles has diminished recently, and there’s a couple of reasons for that.
In the 2010s, Motorsport Broadcasting became a big part of my life, and in the early years I enjoyed the process of producing articles and engaging with fans and industry insiders alike. In more recent years though, engagement on sites such as Twitter (or ‘X’) has felt toxic, with rational discussion left at the door. I have no interest in engaging in endless negativity, which had a detrimental impact on my own mental health.
Alongside that, there became a point (I think just before or during COVID) where it felt like I was watching F1 to comment on the broadcast rather than to enjoy the race. Thankfully, that balance has swung back, but for a period it felt like a chore rather than enjoyment.
I’ve not lost my love or curiosity for sports broadcasting. I’m still as fascinated, if not more fascinated, now as I was 12 years ago. As this post shows, Motorsport Broadcasting is just one part of my life. My life has many elements to it, some of which I am still discovering. Right now, I want to write about those things.
Will I write about motor sport broadcasting again in the future? Yes, and it is not a door I will ever close (sods law dictates that by writing this, a story will break tomorrow that I’ll want to write about). I already have ideas for what the future holds in this space. If anyone in the industry wants my input on anything broadcasting or media related, the door remains open.
It’s just that, if you’re looking for more timely updates, the Motorsport Broadcasting website is probably not the place to go. And I’m okay and at peace with that. 12 years is a long time, nearly 40% of my life! I’ve met some wonderful people in those years, and hopefully that continues in the future.
