ONE trait shared by people with ADHD/ADD is the need to keep moving – and when they focus on something, they pour all their energy into accomplishing the task at hand.

Without letting the disorder affect their lives in negative ways, the following famous people have achieved major success in their own fields, surpassing many of their “normal” peers.

Jim Carrey

As a child, Jim Carrey was a restless child. The actor has been quoted as saying: “My report card always said, ‘Jim finishes first and then disrupts the other students’.”

Jim Carrey

He has been managing the disorder with medication and therapy since he was a child, and has made the most of his high energy levels and comic intellect by acting and doing stand-up comedy.

Jamie Oliver

British chef Jamie Oliver struggled with ADD as a child, once saying “People just thought I was thick, it was a struggle, I never really had anyone to help and who could bring out my strengths.”

Jamie Oliver

He has since learned to manage his disorder, and is creating awareness about ADHD/ADD by promoting and encouraging healthy eating among children, as food plays a big part in a child’s mental development.

Through Jamie’s School Dinners, a show where Jamie introduces menus that help with mental development and creates recipes that can help fight ADHD in children, he encourages consumption of fresh and nutritious food instead of processed and junk food.

Michael Phelps

The 26-year-old American swimmer has 16 Olympic medals – six of them gold – and overall, 66 medals in major international competitions. He began swimming at the age of seven, partly as an outlet for his high energy; it was only later that he was diagnosed with ADHD.

Phelps in Shanghai in July

In school, he couldn’t sit still or keep quiet, but he excelled at gym class and science experiments. Michael’s family worked together to help him channel his energy into swimming.