A legend both on and off the tennis court, Dylan Alcott has been named the 2022 Australian of the Year.
He’s one of the country’s most loved and highest ranked professional athletes but it’s his other endeavours as a philanthropist, media commentator and advocate for people living with a disability that’s earned him the title.
As a teenager, Dylan hated being in a wheelchair because he didn’t see anyone like him in mainstream media, then sport changed everything.
A gold medal at the Paralympic Games in wheelchair basketball preceded three more in Paralympic competition after a cross-code switch to tennis.
Now, with 23 quad wheelchair Grand Slam titles and a Newcombe Medal, Dylan Alcott recently became the first male in history, in any form of tennis, to win the Golden Slam.
Amid his training and competition load as a world-class athlete, Dylan notes that his most profound impact has come from beyond the field of play.
Dylan Alcott with Canberra DJ’s Peking Duk at the AbilityFest music festival.
He founded the Dylan Alcott Foundation to provide scholarships and grant funding to marginalised Australians with a disability.
He also authored his best-selling autobiography, Able, and co-founded Get Skilled Access.
In addition, the 31 year old’s AbilityFest is Australia’s first and only inclusive, fully accessible music festival.
In realising his childhood dream, Dylan holds several high-profile media roles spanning TV, radio and podcasting.
