Mathew Townsend
Using Entrepreneurship to fight Neurodiversity & Disability Prejudice with Mathew Townsend | KH Pod
Mathew proved neurodivergent people belong by showing up, not arguing. Sport changed everything.
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Kintsugi Studio
Mathew Townsend
Mathew proved neurodivergent people belong by showing up, not arguing. Sport changed everything.
Hear this story
Mathew Townsend is an entrepreneur and author living with autism and hearing loss since he was 18 months old. He's writing a book on neurodiversity and runs Nature Freedom, a charity supporting people from all walks of life in nature-based activities. But his path to this work wasn't straightforward. He faced bullying and discrimination in mainstream school, where other students didn't understand what it meant to be autistic with hearing loss. The turning point came in his senior year when he joined sports. That single decision changed everything. Through sport, Mathew proved something crucial: neurodiverse people can do things others assume they cannot. He won awards and trophies despite the widespread misconception that autistic people with motor differences cannot compete. Sport didn't just give him success. It gave him a place where other students could see who he was beyond his disability, and that visibility created acceptance.
Today, Mathew uses the fidgeting and hand movements people notice, what he calls self-stimming, as a deliberate coping tool to manage anxiety and stay alert. He's discovered through professional assessment that his brain is both analytical and creative, visual and organized, challenging the myth that neurodiverse people excel only in technology. His days now blend work with a social enterprise supporting disability inclusion, managing his own charity, and prioritizing time in nature. He follows the 20/20 rule, stepping away from screens every hour to protect his mental and physical health. The message he carries forward is simple but urgent: respect nature. Environmental damage creates a chain reaction that eventually impacts human wellbeing. For Mathew, showing up and proving what he could do mattered far more than arguing about what people thought he couldn't.
“it's not how technology progresses, it's about how society progresses.”
“when you learn accept yourself, that's always the biggest step and lesson I learned, because you have to understand why they do that to you.”
“we need to understand we're still no different in a way how we can do things, but we're just about doing it in different ways.”
The hero, today
Mathew's skills and strengths are shaped by his particular interests and life experience, and people on the spectrum can excel in any field, not just technology. Mathew won sports awards and trophies despite the assumption that autistic people with motor differences cannot compete, proving that difference does not mean inability. Mathew uses fidgeting and self-stimming as a coping strategy to manage anxiety and stay alert during the day, not as a sign of distraction or difficulty. Mathew found acceptance in mainstream school through sports participation, which showed other students who he was beyond his disability. Mathew spends time in nature deliberately as part of his self-care, following the 20/20 rule of stepping away from screens every hour to maintain his mental and physical health. Mathew's message is that respecting nature is not optional or political, it is about recognizing that damage to the environment creates a chain reaction that eventually impacts human wellbeing.
Yes. Mathew Townsend is a real person who shared their own story in their own words. Kintsugi Heroes is a not-for-profit that shares first-person stories of overcoming adversity, told with the person's consent.
Kintsugi Heroes, a registered Australian not-for-profit. Every story is shared with the hero's own consent and reviewed under Kintsugi Heroes' trauma-informed content standard before it goes public.
Mathew's skills and strengths are shaped by his particular interests and life experience, and people on the spectrum can excel in any field, not just technology.
Mathew won sports awards and trophies despite the assumption that autistic people with motor differences cannot compete, proving that difference does not mean inability.
Mathew uses fidgeting and self-stimming as a coping strategy to manage anxiety and stay alert during the day, not as a sign of distraction or difficulty.
Mathew found acceptance in mainstream school through sports participation, which showed other students who he was beyond his disability.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 00:00
Kintsugi Heroes acknowledges funding and was made possible with support from the Community Broadcasting Foundation. Find out more at cbf.org.au.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 00:18
Welcome to the Kintsugi Heroes podcast, where we share inspirational stories of everyday people going through different challenges and how they overcome them. Please be aware that the story you're about to hear may have moments of deeply felt emotions and personal experiences. If anything you hear has a triggering effect, please reach out to someone who can help keep you safe. If you love this conversation, we'd love you to like and share it with your friends so we can continue to share more inspiration and hope to as many people as possible. Now listen up for our next hero story.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 01:03
In this episode, Kerry Atherton chats with Matthew Townsend, an entrepreneur and author who lives with autism and has suffered from hearing loss since he was 18 months old. Matthew faced bullying in school but found acceptance through sports. Today, he is writing a book on neurodiversity and has made it his goal to create a more inclusive society. Enjoy this one with Matthew Townsend.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 01:36
Welcome to another episode of Kintsugi Heroes. Today's guest is Matthew Townsend. Matthew, who is living on the spectrum and also suffers from hearing loss, is also an entrepreneur and is currently writing his first book on neurodiversity. Welcome, Matthew.
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This conversation includes welcome to kintsugi heroes, living on the spectrum with hearing loss, what neurodiversity actually means, how his brain works differently, bullying at school and finding his place and how he lost his hearing at 18 months.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 01:58
Oh, good morning. Thank you for inviting me.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 02:01
Great to have you on. Um, before we start, can you tell us the title of your book?
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 02:07
I will be, um, Neurodiversity, uh, Perspective from Social Entrepreneurship.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 02:15
Right. So, so can you tell us more about that word? Because a lot of people might not understand what exactly what neurodiversity is. You know a lot about it and you're writing a book on it. So educate us if you can.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 02:30
I think it is— there's a universal definition of what people say what neurodiverse means, but the general term for this is the range of spectrum people who have autism, ADHD, and other neurological development disability associated, and not to be confused with intellectual disability. It's mostly neurodevelopmental disability. And neurodiversity, this can be often related to the whole spectrum of like being on the autism spectrum and that relate to your sensory side of things. So it's more, more acceptable term to identify ourselves to relate how we accommodate ourselves in a comfortable environment. And that's the definition being changed from one classification to another. So it is more, um, a modern definition, right?
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 03:29
And I read that it's having a brain that works differently from the average person. So how does your brain work?
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 03:36
It's pretty interesting. Um, coincidentally, I did a bit of personality test, a professional development and learning from my other job, and it taught me about the what part of my brain, the quadrant in your brain that tests you on your your ability, like some thinking, organisational, creativity and all that. So I'm a little bit more an analytical and organised kind of type rather than visual thinker, but I'm kind of surprised at the result of that assessment. I'm quite almost balanced because there's a lot of misconceptions around neurodiverse people about perceiving these people are good at IT, are good at technology and related stuff, because I'm not. I played games when I was a kid, and I'm living on the computer, working on the computer for most of my life, but that doesn't mean I'm really good at it. I haven't pulled it apart at anything technically. That what I have learned that from my employer training from the other week about what quadrant of your brain, and then that assessment match your personality, strength, and skills. I find it interesting that I would expect it to be more analytical, organized, which are on the left-hand side of the brain. On the right-hand side is creativity and emotion. It turns out I'm quite more balanced, so I'm also can be creative visual thinker. So it's how we wise is still different to neurotypical with people who are not neurodiverse. We share in similar way, but we have different perspective how we see things.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 05:26
Wow. It's a big topic, isn't it?
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 05:29
Oh yeah. It's ongoing awareness and everything. But I go, it can be exhausting, but I think it would be very helpful for them to learn.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 05:38
Matt, I had a podcast, but also events called Stories of Hope Australia, and I invited a guy who is a very talented musician to come on and share his story. And he said to me that the way he could only share his story really is through the songs that he'd written. And he said he would find it very difficult to stand up and just like share. And I said, oh, that's great, you can share however you want. So he lived on— he lives on the spectrum and he wrote songs about that. And about his experiences and about bullying and, uh, different things that had happened as a result of his journey of living on the spectrum. Can you give us a bit of an insight into what it's like for those of us who don't know?
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 06:29
I often relate to his experience, but I'm not a musician person myself, but I can relate to trauma and experiences we go through as a child, going through school, university, and early career. It's because I think in the last 20 years here in Australia, the awareness around coming from Asperger's to autism, which is more acceptable term, and become neurodiversity. When I was 20 years old, all that stuff wasn't really pop up on the media on these days anymore. So I think it's the thing now, people becoming more aware that people are speaking up and sharing experiences. It's not how technology progresses, it's about how society progresses. And even think about this, he's got creativity side of himself, you know, with all the misconception around people on ASD. I got to give you a job at an information technology centre. Because all the other people I met, I had that skill, but he's less likely to excel in that job because he's doing really well in music. So that is the education we're trying to help to understand the strength, the skills are very particular and based on our life and experience. So as for how we develop passion and the interest and particular thing. So, um, that is the biggest strength of us because we are good, good thing at a, at our hobby, and we are good at the job. That's what happened.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 08:14
Because that's been my understanding with people that I've known, you know, and a relative as well with ASD, is that there's a very, very, very high skill level in a particular area, and interest almost can turn into a bit of an obsession at times. But very, very, very good at that one area and, uh, something that is thought about over and over and over again.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 08:40
Yeah, that's, that's how the brain wired, um, because I think it just come down to the right side of the brain, it being analytical. Yeah. And, and progress, process data and all that kind of stuff. What we learn from something. I come across this young guy I met a few years ago at the conference. He'd love sport data. It's pretty interesting, but before that, all the other people on the spectrum, like, got no interest in sports at all. And he's come up and he shares similar skills, strength, like other people with being analytical, using the computers and stuff, but he loves sport. He gets all the data and he actually solves problems.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 09:26
Yeah, wow.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 09:28
Medical there, it could be tactics, the games and all that kind of stuff. That, that's really blown my mind on there.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 09:35
Wow. Yeah, that the ability, probably the potential to make a lot of money.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 09:40
Hey, probably, hopefully not betting on now.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 09:46
What are the challenges for you with your particular— you, you said that you have hearing loss. Um, where did, where did the hearing loss come from? What was that as a result of?
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 09:57
Are, um, every Dashra acquired disability after birth. So, um, it's kind of slightly controversial thing. Um, a lot of people I met with the same hearing loss, uh, lose it around the same time of their age. Yeah, so, um, yeah, I was born without disability, so, um, it's just something happened, um, when I was 18 months old. Yeah, over the period of time, I just figure out How did I lose it? And even though, no, I did lose it or what, because no one— I remember my mum told me that it's calling out my name and they have no attention because at 18 months old it's not like, yes, mum, because it's not like that kind of thing. So it's quite interesting because I live in a very different generation culture back in the '90s where I fit in with Deaf culture. We older people who do Auslan, sign language, how we communicate with the others. So it's a little bit different today because we have more technology. People who are born deaf or acquired at the same age have cochlear implants. So I have not accepted that when I was younger. So I keep it as it is. So, and the second part, there's an interesting trend of people who have Asperger's in the old definition have also had hearing loss as well. So it's part of the neurological development and disability. So it can impact on the communication and how we, you know, like, not just hearing, it's understanding the context of the situation. It's a very challenging time. I went to school as a teacher's aide and need support, note-taking, interpretation, what the teacher say, understanding the context. It's like, um, how you understand in that way. So it's pretty kind of conflicting each other in terms of communication. So it's still challenging today because every day when I meet new people, um, this is some sort of explanation how to communicate.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 12:14
Well, Matt, what What was growing up like? Oh, with the things that you have experienced and gone, gone through?
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 12:22
I, I find it interesting. There's a lot of individuals similar to me are struggling to participate socially, community, or recreational in the school years and stuff. Um, and even I still witnessed, um, young kids today are not participating in school at all. So I'm very, very lucky I went to a mainstream school who accept who I am at that time. I never have been in a segregated environment like we're still seeing today because I'm really like, "Dapin, I need to learn about other kids." Mainstream school, it really can be challenging at the same time. I have faced times of being bullied. Harassment, discrimination. Of course, these are still times happening today as well, but it's about overcoming them. So it's like when you learn accept yourself, that's always the biggest step and lesson I learned, because you have to understand why they do that to you. So that's why it's important. How lucky I feel being a part of mainstream school. And when I get into high school, I want the next step as well. It's very challenging because you just have to start again because they're all different students here, different teachers and all that. But as it's got better, when I get to senior year, things has improved. I participate in sports, so that's probably helped me to not having a status or still profile or anything. The COVID shooting bothers me in Grade 8, Grade 9 area. Have not done it anymore when I was in the senior year. I think that's the part of the growing up kind of thing, but that is saying I'm doing a good thing for the school and that where people start learning about who I am. That probably would not be possible if you go to segregated school because it's about like how we learn about each other. It's like socially communication because I know I have communication social challenge, that's all. But you have to share that with the other people.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 14:49
Sorry for the interruption. This is Ian Westmoreland, the founder of Katsuki Heroes, and thank you for listening to this story from one of our amazing heroes.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 14:58
Our mission is for these stories to provide hope and inspiration to people experiencing life challenges and to also educate the broader community on how best to provide support. If you would like to help us continue to produce more hero stories and cover more adversity themes, we would welcome all donations. These can be made via our website kitsukiheroes.com.au. The donate function is at the bottom of the home page.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 15:26
We'd also welcome any feedback. You can email me direct using ian@kintsugiheroes.com.au.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 15:35
Now let's get back to the story. I like— I'm telling you, what is the right way to say I am an unspecialistic autistic person or something? Kind of label. So it's about inclusion side of thing.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 15:54
Yeah. And I think the important thing is for, for people to ask curiously in a sensitive way. So I didn't want to be offensive to you at all, so that was why I said, how would you like me to refer to this? Yeah. And I think the more we can understand the differences in people and in one another the greater society will be. I think a lot of people, because they don't know or don't understand, then they don't know what to say and they don't know how to act. I was actually at a conference, a speakers conference recently, and there was one of the sessions, and with the— obviously with the speaker's permission, this was the title of the session, and it was Blind, Queer and Black. Now it was all about, um, inclusion. The person that was representing who they said was queer was somebody who was— who identified as transgender. Uh, the, the Black— when we got there, there was 3 people who were white in skin color, but she actually had found out that she was, uh, Indigenous a few years back, and she was raised with an English mum. And then there was the girl who was blind. And the girl who was blind was— she brought up a very good point, and she said that 1 in 5 people are actually struggling with some kind of disability, if we call it a disability, or a difference, you know, we could call it, you know. But often just looking at the person, you can't see what that is. And I'm actually a recovering alcoholic, and I haven't had a drink for 42 years now. Whenever I go to any functions or anything like that, I almost have to explain to everyone why I don't drink, because there's never a non-alcoholic option. But people would never look at me and say, oh, you know, oh, she's an alcoholic. So it, it really pays, doesn't it, to just be empathetic, treat, treat people with empathy and curiosity and kindness at the same time. And I'm fine if people say, why don't you drink, you know, but it's, it's a question why they ask, you know, like the way they ask the question.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 18:24
I think it's coming down to inclusion though. Um, I know there's people who have a misconception about what inclusion does in this context. So it's the more we're doing something like in your example, the more we're doing it everywhere we go, we might shock culturally to some people who come to the conference or congress or a festival or somewhere, because these people had the opportunity to learn about the differences. So, and that's where education coming more natural approach to people. It's not like I'm going to change your mind right now, because it's not how it works. People change the mind from themselves. That makes us short. So we have to showcase ourselves we can do it and show that we're doing it not, I say, average or normal ways. It's just try to avoid to perceive other people. Like, for example, often, like, when people are— don't play sport, because a lot of people are pretty soon, especially, and they can't play sport because then the motor neuron function, the movement, the way physical does move, because the medical perception says that they can't do that. That's why they become socially accepted. Sorry, you can't do that because you're on the spectrum. I have quite a few awards and trophies myself by playing sport and proved that was wrong. I can be clumsy sometimes. I'm pretty sure everybody can be clumsy anyway. I hurt myself by catching a cricket ball or I got a soccer ball in my hand or something like that, but I still achieved that. So that's why we need to understand we're still no different in a way how we can do things, but we're just about doing it in different ways.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 20:11
Yeah, no, I love that point. That's great. And we are all different, aren't we? You know, every— everybody— I'm, I'm a counselor, and I, I've soon learned that everybody has little quirks and different ways of doing things and Yeah, there needs to be more acceptance of diversity and less judgment.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 20:33
That's why you say neurodiverse, because it's neurodiversity, it's a separate. So it's— that's why it's more generally accepted in that way. So, um, it's like looking at a graph of neurodiversity, all the other things that's coming into it It's more generally accepted now, and, and it's a very important generation we are now to look at that further.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 21:02
Yeah, yeah. So Matt, before when I asked you about— and if you don't mind sharing, because I wanted people to get a bit of an insight into your world— you've got something on your knuckles. You share about that with us?
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 21:15
Yeah, sure. So I think, uh, it's actually become more acceptable when I'm in a work environment. Of course, where people see us, we have quirks. And all that kind of stuff. So it is not really one of the quirks we do, it's about self-stimming. So it's keeping us preoccupied with the situation where we are. So I got also have other different product, it's this different feel texture, and then of course fidget spinners and stuff like that.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 21:46
So just, yeah, just wanted to explain that if anyone's wondering, you know, what are the noises This is— it's just a bit of an insight into your world.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 21:55
And, um, yeah, I've been in some situation, uh, some people find it irritating, um, especially in, in work group meeting, for example. That was before I have explained what I'm doing next.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 22:10
Yeah, yeah.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 22:11
So it's really self-stimming. It just really helped me to be more alert, and also it's a bit calming in a way too.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 22:22
Do you suffer from, um, anxiety a lot?
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 22:25
Yes, in some context, yes, I do. So it's also helped me to— that's not like I'm trying to destroy something. So this is just like your mind trying to get something, get beyond anxiety. So with your thoughts, so when it's distressing yourself So it's like, okay, let's stop being a scratching, um, because your mind not thinking about it at all. It's becoming a habit, you know. So, um, it's just like I start to smoothly transition. It's like the coping strategy to go beyond your anxiety. So, and then you move on and do something else.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 23:04
Well, Matt, you're a very smart guy, um, and you have achieved a lot. Can you take us, before we kind of come to a close shortly, into a day in the life of Matthew?
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 23:18
Yeah, not a problem. Sometime I do have routine I can repeat every day, um, but this really depends on what the day is like. So, um, I just a little bit of habit checking my phone email first thing in the morning, see if I prepared expectation. What the day is, especially I've got a calendar as well I look at to make sure I am timely manner and organised. So it can be semi-part ritual, but it really depends on a day because I have a dog. Sometimes I have to force myself to wake up and take her down for the potty, you know. I think that was a good thing because I try not to oversleep, so that's good. We do morning walks. At times, but sometimes we do it in the evening instead of morning, so it depends on the day. I try to be flexible with myself. I'm not trying to spend too much on doing the routine in some way.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 24:17
Are you working?
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 24:18
Yes, I'm working. I'm working with a social enterprise, Kookaburra team. I work with supporting social enterprises around Australia. In the social procurement, and I work with Nature Freedom, which is my own social enterprise, which is now changed to the charity as of this week. Nature Freedom has been like a baby of myself, um, 7 years ago. So we're looking at supporting people from all walks of life, especially with audibility, um, to enjoy nature-based activity. So it's about encouraging people We go bushwalking, we go on the water, or anywhere we take them. It's focused on social inclusion. It's the opportunity to provide them. And we're looking at accessibility, so we're trying to promote accessibility, not just accessing to that activity, but also the infrastructure of that experience for them to provide. So it's like, for example, we had the vision impaired participants, they've been a regular with that. We visually describe what are the trees, colour, shape and everything. So we're promoting inclusion and accessibility with that connection. It's about social wellbeing, nature connection, positive experience. We learn about our flora and fauna. It was a beautiful park in Brisbane. Um, it's very amazing place to check out. So it's a lot about encouragement.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 25:56
Oh, that's great. So, so it sounds like you're very in touch with nature. Is that your happy place?
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 26:03
Oh yes, it's a big happy place. And I'm lucky to have a good window view of a lot of trees, birds, butterfly, bees, and green leaf, of course. Um, I used to live in a city suburb for many years, I just felt very disconnected. So happy to be living on the suburb with a lot of trees and parks, nature reserves, wetlands, get to see ducks, waterbirds that migrate from north and the south coast. It's awesome place to be in the nature. It's really important to think about like balance in my life, spending time at the computer, but getting out itself as well.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 26:42
That's great. And that was going to be leading into my next question about self-care strategies, uh, but you just touched on it really well, you know, how important balance is.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 26:52
Yeah, absolutely. Um, what I have learned, honestly, by my specialist, uh, about 20/20 rule. So, you know, often everybody traditionally spend time on a computer at work, 9 to 5. Day, you know, and they can be really mentally draining. It can be not good for your physical health when you're sitting there, um, not moving your body, and also bad for your eyes as well. I have to separate myself, um, to avoid migraine as well, but it's been looking at the focus. Spend up to 10 to 20 minutes per hour away from screen. So move around and around the place, and it can be an office or a home if you're working remotely. Get outside, go out in the sun for a little bit. Sometimes I'm pretty guilty of staying out in the rain. I can do that. It's really about think about what's your body react or act to something if you spend too much time that's not really natural. Yeah, so that's how I see it. At Nature Freedom, we encouraging corporates and government to do that sort of program to support the employees there to connect with nature. So, you know, where we're working and towards the middle of the 21st century, a lot of people spend more time in the office on the computer because of technology. It's more likely people building the stress, the pressure on work becoming not well mentally and not physically well. There's a lot of research around that find that both health and wellbeing has been falling apart. So because it's that really working environment, it's really like not changed from the past, but it's still growing. Yeah, just depend what industry you're in. So that's why we're trying to encourage supporting the corporate and government get out of there and enjoy it. And, uh, I can share my wisdom and passion with these people to inspire.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 29:04
Yeah, that's great. That's fantastic. I, I've heard a while ago in my studies, you know, that I was doing reading on neuroscience and everything, and it was talking about positive and negative ions and that the positive ions, it's kind of back to front really, cuz they're not positive, but the positive ions are in computers and phones and inside and televisions and everything. And that we actually need to get outside where the negative ions actually zap and break down the positive ions that we've been exposed to. So that really fits in with that 20/20 rule. But I've never forgotten that. And I, as much as I can, you know, I get outside and sit outside and get away from screens and everything. Matt, as we're coming to a close now, what's the, the main message that you would really love to get out there to everybody that's listening today?
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 29:58
One part I learned for myself, I think it's probably really important for everyone. It doesn't matter if you take it this way because we have different way how we approach it. So I'm gonna say to my— asking myself this question to all of you, please respect nature. So nature, like you said, it's like a positive thing for you. I'm not a hippie, I'm not a holistic kind of person, I'm pretty neutral myself. Imagine ourself in an environment that is negative to you, it's like been destroyed or something, how your mood or your mental well-being have changed if something impacts on that. So that's why I take a lot of respect that because it's looking after you. Yeah. And then how we're looking after ourself So we have to remind ourselves what our action make about nature, because nature is a wicked problem and it have one impact and another exchange it the other way. So it can be a chain reaction of serious event or it can lead to something where the society don't respond to anymore. That can trickle down to the issue. So it's a slow progress issue. It's like, for example, if you put a frog in a pot and then say boil over a period of time, and then eventually the frog will start to react to the boiling water. That context, that's how we feel at the moment. We're probably reaching to the boiling point. We have to remind ourselves this nature is really important to us.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 31:44
Yeah, oh, that's a great message. And it's got such a healing feeling, like when, when you're not feeling good, you just get outside and you watch the trees, you know, and see how, how they've grown. And you see a flower in the garden and such great healing properties is, is the word I was really looking for. Um, well, Matt, look, it's been an absolute delight to chat with you today, and thank you so much for being open and vulnerable. And for giving us all a real insight into neurodiversity. What's your organization called? How can people find what you're doing with nature?
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 32:22
Um, check in on our Facebook, um, Nature Freedom, and we have our website naturefreedom.org.au.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 32:30
Okay, and so look out for that, everyone. And Matt's book will be coming out soon, and I'm sure that it's going to be an exceptional read. Thank you.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 32:39
We'll keep in touch with that update as well.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 32:42
Thank you, Matt.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 32:43
Thank you.
Mathew Townsend (Guest) · 32:49
We hope you've enjoyed this episode of Kintsugi Heroes. Please like and share the show to your friends so we can get this out to even more people. If you have a story you'd like to share with us, please reach out using the contact details below and join us next week for our next hero's story. Until then, keep being you, and remember that we are all heroes in our own unique way.
Kerrie Atherton (Host) · 33:17
Only when it's broken, only when it's broken, when it hits you in the middle of the night and it Truth burns so bright. Only when it's broken. Only when it's broken. Take pride in those cries. It's only for tonight. And then you rise. Only when you're broken. Only when you're broken. Only when you're broken.
You don't have to be in crisis to call.
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