Neurodiversity on the Trail: ADHD
Greg Minaar - taken from “Other Side of the Hill” - https://youtu.be/gsuacEZMVU4?si=ZZFIQPjclRZnrfsM
When a four-time downhill world champion and the voice of World Cup racing both openly discuss their ADHD, it’s clear that neurodiversity runs deep in mountain biking. Greg Minnaar - the GOAT of downhill - recently revealed his ADHD diagnosis at age 43, reflecting that it unknowingly shaped his racing career[1].
Likewise, legendary commentator Rob Warner has candidly shared how his “ADHD is out of control”, thanking his team for “putting up with” his eccentric energy. These high-profile examples hook us into an important reality: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is part of many athletes’ lives, from groms in coaching clinics to the sport’s superstars. As a mountain bike coach, understanding it isn’t just nice-to-have, it’s key to helping these riders thrive.
In this post, we’ll explore what ADHD is and how it can affect athletic performance.
If you want to learn more - We’ll go in depth with strategies for Neurodiverse riders, including those with ADHD, in our next Masterclass: Cognitive Strategies for Coaching Neurodiverse Riders.
How Does ADHD Affect Athletic Performance?
Riders with ADHD bring a mix of challenges and strengths to the trail. Their attention, energy, emotions, and quick thinking can shape how they ride and how coaches need to coach.
Attention and Focus:
Staying locked in during slower or repetitive drills can be difficult. Riders may get distracted by their surroundings or a passing thought, missing a cue or line choice in the process. These small lapses are common ADHD symptoms that can translate into costly mistakes on the trail.
Impulsivity and Risk:
ADHD riders often act before thinking, which might look like sending a drop without checking the landing or charging into a rock garden unprepared. This is not recklessness for its own sake, because the ADHD brain tends to underestimate risk and overestimate control. With guidance, that same boldness can become a strength. Coaches can help riders channel it into confident and calculated decision-making.
Emotional Intensity:
ADHD can amplify every emotional high and low. A minor mistake might lead to frustration or an angry outburst, while a victory can bring soaring enthusiasm. These responses come from neurobiology, not attitude. Patient and supportive coaching helps riders learn to manage emotions on the trail and build resilience that extends beyond it.
Energy and Movement:
ADHD often brings an excess of energy and a need for constant motion. Young riders might fidget, wander, or ride laps between drills. While this can be disruptive in other settings, on the bike it is often an advantage. The key is channeling that energy into productive, focused practice rather than letting it spill into chaos.
Quick Thinking and Creativity:
The ADHD brain moves fast, which can make focus a challenge but also sparks creativity and rapid reactions. On the trail, that agility might mean finding an unexpected line or adapting instantly to changing terrain. What seems like distractibility can actually be a performance edge in a sport built on quick decisions.
Finally, it’s worth noting that ADHD often comes with superpowers alongside the challenges.
“Many athletes with ADHD describe experiencing periods of hyperfocus - an intense, laser-like focus on something they find exciting.”
When an ADHD rider is fully in the zone - say, dialing in a jump line or cleaning a technical climb - they might tune out everything except the task at hand, showing extraordinary concentration.
Psychologists have observed that individuals with ADHD can focus incredibly deeply on interesting or novel tasks, especially under pressure[12]. This hyperfocus can be a huge asset in competition, helping athletes enter a flow state where they perform at their peak. As coaches, we want to set up conditions that let ADHD riders tap into that focus (more on this below).
In short, ADHD brings a profile of traits that can both hinder and enhance athletic performance. Attention issues, impulsivity, and emotional swings pose real challenges - but the high energy, fearlessness, creativity, and capacity for hyperfocus can give athletes a competitive edge when guided properly. Understanding both sides of this coin helps coaches see ADHD not as a “deficit” to fix, but as a different operating system to work with.
If this topic resonates, you’ll want to check out our upcoming Masterclass: Cognitive Strategies for Coaching Neurodiverse Riders. It’s a deep dive into how ADHD, autism, and other neurotypes shape learning and performance on the bikeand how great coaching can turn those differences into strengths.
Here are the sources we used for this article:
[1] [10] Video: Greg Minnaar Explores his ADHD Diagnosis & How it May Have Unknowingly Shaped his Career - Pinkbike
[2] The Rob Warner Podcast Deep Dive - The Ride Companion
[3] [4] [5] [11] Frontiers | ADHD and Adolescent Athletes
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2014.00046/full
[6] Risk Taking by Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): a Behavioral and Psychophysiological Investigation of Peer Influence - PubMed
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32607755/
[7] ADHD-associated risk taking is linked to exaggerated views of the benefits of positive outcomes | Scientific Reports
https://eprints.hud.ac.uk/31694/1/PEM%20SPRING17%20P49-51.pdf
[9] ADHD and Adolescent Athletes - PMC - NIH
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4060024/
[12] [13] [14] [20] Hyperfocus of ADHD and autism can be real assets for elite athletes - The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/11/01/adhd-autism-hyperfocus-elite-atheletes/
[15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [22] [23] Coaching Young Athletes with ADHD: Strategies for Focus, Discipline, and Motivation | Journey Haven
