Imogen's Story
Imogen from Surrey Super 1s lives with autism and ADHD, this meant she really struggled with the sensory overload at school. She found herself ‘masking’ to fit in but this just meant she was exhausted when she got home. Not surprisingly, this took a serious toll on Imogen and the rest of the family. Within months she was not attending school at all.
In 2021 they saw tickets for The Hundred advertised and took advantage of the accessible pricing for families, attending one of the matches at the Kia Oval. This is where Imogen, started to fall in love with cricket, particularly inspired by Oval Invincibles’ Alice Capsey, who chatted to Imogen after the match and took a photo with her.
In October 2022, her mum saw a flyer for Super 1s and contacted Surrey Cricket Foundation to find out more. Imogen decided to give it a try, and she hasn't looked back since..
Over the next few months, Imogen developed quickly as a player and in 2023, enjoyed several milestones. She has played for a girls Super 1s select team in a mini-tournament involving the Surrey Wheelchair Cricket Squad and Sanderstead Ladies. Later that summer, she played in Super 9s tournaments against teams from Hampshire, Kent and Sussex.
Cricket has been transformative for Imogen. She used to find it difficult to maintain friends. Now she has a group of 6-8 regular friends through cricket. She had the confidence to be Mascot at the Surrey v Somerset T20 Blast game last June (2024) – and Chris Jordan mentioned she was instrumental in Surrey winning their first toss of the season!
Imogen’s Super 1s experience has helped turn her life around, and now has a plan for the future. Despite only being 15, she champions women and girls being involved in sport and wants to continue to work to raise the profile of women and help to remove some of the obstacles that still exist. She's also now considering making a return to a suitable school.
Things came full circle for Imogen this summer (2024) when Alice Capsey surprised Imogen at a training session and had a net with her which was filmed for a feature that aired live on the BBC's coverage of an Oval Invincibles Hundred game. The confidence Imogen now has shone through at this particular fixture, when participating brilliantly in a live TV interview with Alex Hartley as the game was played.
“I love going to Super 1s. I feel happy and safe and enjoy playing where the professionals practice”
Inspire Award
In 2024, Imogen won one of our four 'Inspire Awards', due to her remarkable journey of personal growth through cricket. Despite facing challenges with Autism and ADHD, her passion for the sport, inspired by cricketer Alice Capsey, led her to embrace cricket through Super 1s. Her involvement has helped her build confidence, make friends, and develop as a player whilst also championing women and girls in sport.
For the first time in Inspire Awards history, the award was also presented to Imogen's mum, Steph, in recognition of her contributions too.
This wonderful moment left everyone deeply moved, with not a dry eye in the house, as both mother and daughter were celebrated for their impact, together.
The award winners between them showcase the development that can be made by young people living with disabilities through involvement with Super 1s.
Hear more about Imogen's inspiring story in the video below.
Imogen
October 2024