My Story, My Mission!
Behind the name Tobey Alexander is a story of survival, self-discovery, and unapologetic neurodivergence.
Hi, I’m Gav. Many know me as Tobey Alexander, the name I write under as a novelist and screenwriter with my short film MASKS currently In Production.
I’m a late-diagnosed autistic adult with ADHD, a multi-award-winning storyteller, and a qualified educator with over 20 years of experience in high-pressure operational roles. For nearly two decades I worked in the UK’s Blue Light Services. Life-or-death decisions, constant pressure, and a lifetime of masking shaped how I survived until I realised I didn’t have to. I am the UK's first openly neurodivergent head of specialist operations and command training in my area of professional expertise.
It took a near breakdown, and then a breakthrough, to realise I wasn’t broken. I was wired differently.
Now I use that experience to help others stop hiding who they are and to build environments where they don’t have to.
🔥 The Turning Point
For years, I performed. I wore the masks the world demanded humour, control, overworking, people-pleasing. On the outside it looked like success. Inside, I was burning out.
My late diagnosis didn’t give me an excuse. It gave me a framework. I wasn’t failing. I was wired differently.
That breakthrough pushed me to stop surviving and start leading as who I really am. It’s the perspective I now bring into every keynote, workshop, and consulting session.
✍️ Storytelling Became Survival
Writing was never a hobby, it was survival. Through books and screenplays, I turned chaos into clarity. That same storytelling has become a way to connect, to reflect, and to change the conversation around identity and resilience.
Since my first book in 2015, I’ve published multiple novels, written award-winning screenplays (30+ international awards), and built stories that help others feel less alone.
🎤 Speaking Honestly
I don’t deliver motivational soundbites. I share lived experience — the kind of lessons most people only learn the hard way.
I’ve spoken at national conferences and frontline units including:
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New Scotland Yard Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2025
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Ministry of Defence
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East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU)
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Civil Nuclear Constabulary
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Lincolnshire and Derbyshire Police
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National Neurodiversity in Specialist Operations Working group
I talk about masking, burnout, and identity — and about the strength that comes from facing your mind instead of fighting it.
🏔 A Mantra Forged in Fire
Between 2016 and 2019, everything hit at once: family illness, trauma, diagnoses, and hospitalisations. In the middle of it all, my son and I trekked to Everest Base Camp when he was just thirteen.
That journey gave me the mantra that now drives everything I do:
You Are Your Only Limit.
That phrase became the backbone of everything I do, from writing to coaching to how I parent.
🧭 What Drives Me Now
Today, my work, whether it’s books, NeuroEdge, or OFF SCRIPT Consulting — is built from lived experience and designed to create change.
My mission is simple:
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Help people understand their minds
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End the pressure to perform
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Build spaces where difference is respected, not hidden
I work with organisations and leaders who want to build more inclusive, human spaces. Whether it’s a keynote, workshop, or consultancy, my focus is simple: turning lived experience into practical tools for change.
If you’re looking to challenge old systems, empower quiet voices, and lead with authenticity, let’s start the conversation.