INNERLEITHEN-BASED professional mountain biker Katy Winton will take part in a summer lecture series dedicated to dyslexia.
Redefining My Limits will be an online, in-conversation talk hosted by national charity Dyslexia Scotland later this month.
Winton will talk about how she harnesses dyslexia to excel, turning professional at 23 and ranking third in the world in 2017 and 2018.
Although she found out she was dyslexic at a young age, Winton only opened up about her earlier struggles in school during the last six months.
Now the athlete wants to encourage others with the learning difference.
“We are all human, and we all have tremendous courage within us,” said Winton. “A dyslexia label placed limits on me that I didn’t want. It made others jump to preconceived conclusions about me too quickly. In this talk I’ll share how I work with my dyslexia now as a sportsperson, the power of the mind and your attitude and how I harnessed it, all in hope that you can too so as your limits are not defined by someone else or the dyslexic label.
“I believe you are the only one to know what you are truly capable of.”
Dyslexia Scotland chief executive Cathy Magee said: “What an honour to host Katy for our next summer lecture. Every child and young person with dyslexia in Scotland, particularly if they are struggling with the school learning environment, needs to hear Katy’s story and learn from her mindset.”
This live and unrecorded series forms part of the strategy for a dyslexia-friendly Scotland by informing the wider public about the value of dyslexic minds to society.
Following from Winton, Laura Henry-Allain MBE, creator of the award-winning JoJo and Gran Gran global series, will talk about her journey with dyslexia and leading orthoptist Nadia Northway will explain about visual issues commonly associated with dyslexia.
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