Eastbourne-based coach Zoé Carroll has taken on the role of Neurodiversity and Inclusion Ambassador for The Big Swim 2026, a major wild swimming event celebrating International Women’s Day.

The event took place this weekend across two locations, Brighton and Sandbanks in Dorset, bringing together more than 1,000 swimmers in what organisers describe as the South Coast’s largest outdoor swimming gathering.

Carroll, a neurodiversity coach who supports women experiencing anxiety and late-diagnosed neurodivergence, said the event aligns closely with her work helping women reconnect with themselves through community, nature and self-understanding.

“Cold water swimming has been incredibly powerful for many of the neurodivergent women I work with,” she said.

We are your sensory safe place if it all feels too much on the day. We will have sensory tools, a quiet area and neurodivergent people who are here to look after you. You can find out about my offers especially for neurodivergent women and see how I can help you after the event as well.

Large-scale swimming events can be incredible. The water. The sense of achievement. The collective buzz of people doing something brave and a bit wild together.

And… they can also feel a lot.

If you’re a neurodivergent woman, you might already be thinking:

• What if it’s too noisy or chaotic?

• What if I feel overwhelmed or shut down?

• What if I don’t know where to go or who to talk to?

• What if I feel awkward, shy, or on the outside?

Zoe Carroll and a team of neurodivergent women from the Activate YOU programme will be on hand to support you every step of the way. Here are 5 ways you can prepare for the event.