Dylan Alcott OAM: Helping shape the future for Australians with a disability

Our 2022 Victoria Australian of the Year, Dylan Alcott OAM, is ready for the next chapter of his life – one beyond the tennis court. As part of our 2022 Australian of the Year series, Dylan talks about what retirement looks like for him, how he practises self-motivation and his most memorable tennis match.

Tennis legend, Dylan Alcott OAM, is excited about life after the 2022 Australian Open.

The first of the annual four Grand Slams events will be Dylan’s official farewell to a sport that has changed his life and carried him to the peak of his sporting career. But the world-class athlete says he’s not looking back because he has much to look forward to off court.

“I've been a full-time athlete since I started playing basketball at 14,” Dylan says. “Tennis has given me an incredible platform to live out my purpose but I can still continue doing that even after leaving the game.”

That purpose is changing society’s perceptions of people with a disability so they’re given equal opportunity for progress and success. As a fierce disability advocate, Dylan founded the Dylan Alcott Foundation to provide scholarships and grant funding to marginalised Australians with a disability. The Foundation has also conceptualised and delivered three iterations of AbilityFest, Australia’s first and only completely inclusive, fully accessible music festival.

He's also a Director of Get Skilled Access, a consulting firm that employs 50 consultants with disability and works with government and businesses at all levels assisting them to think and act more inclusively in all ways.

“It's time for me to focus my attention on this other stuff that I really love,” Dylan says. “Retirement has been at the back of my mind for a while and when I was lucky enough to win the Golden Slam last year, I knew for sure that the time had come.”

I’m really excited to be doing more work as a disability advocate, taking a proper holiday and starting a family.

Dylan will leave the tennis world with 23 quad wheelchair Grand Slam titles, four Paralympic gold medals and a Newcombe Medal, the title of 2016 Paralympian of the Year and recognition as the first male in history to win the Golden Slam. In November 2021, he added a different title to his stellar list – 2022 Victorian Australian of the Year.

“There are so many other people who deserve this award but I'm a proud Victorian so it’s an incredible honour,” Dylan says. “I’ll be using this platform to shine a light on how we can help people with a disability live the life they want by giving them the opportunities they deserve.”

Here, Dylan talks to us about what retirement looks like for him, how he practices self-motivation, and his most memorable tennis match.

Meet other extraordinary Australians

Read the inspiring stories of our other recipients and discover how they’re making a profound and positive contribution to their communities.

Was there a specific moment when you knew tennis would change your life?
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