Paralympic Great Dylan Alcott Inducted To Sport Australia Hall Of Fame 

Four-time Paralympic gold medallist Dylan Alcott has been selected to be inducted as an Athlete Member into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. 

The announcement was made by Sport Australia Hall of Fame Chair Steve Hooker and Selection Committee Chair Malcolm Page ahead of the official ceremony, which will take place in Melbourne on November 24.  

Paralympics Australia Chief Executive Cameron Murray said Alcott’s contribution to the Paralympic Movement was immense and his ascension to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame was welcome. 

“Dylan was a leading and highly successful athlete in Australian Paralympic sport before building and using his profile to put the rights of people with a disability front and centre of the national conversation,” Mr Murray said. 

“Throughout the years he has become a well-respected and much-admired advocate and personality, who has spoken up for many in our society who have felt unheard.  

“On behalf of Paralympics Australia, I’d like to thank the Sport Australia Hall of Fame for recognising and rewarding Dylan’s exceptional contribution to Australian sport.” 

Following his selection, Alcott said: “It’s one of, if not the highest honour in Australian sport, and I’m still in shock. Sport saved my life. It helped me find my community and gave me a passion and purpose, so to be recognised at this level is really incredible. 

“Getting the call was surreal. I’ve been going to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala for many years now and it’s always such an incredible experience to be surrounded by so many sporting legends. To be inducted alongside sportspeople I’ve looked up to my whole life, if you could tell a younger Dylan this was happening, I don’t think he’d believe you.” 

Alcott started his Paralympic career as a member of the Rollers Australian men’s wheelchair basketball team that won the gold medal at Beijing 2008 and the silver medal at London 2012. The team also won gold at the World Championships in 2010.  

He had earlier played wheelchair tennis and switched back to the sport in 2014. By the end of 2015, he was ranked No.1 after winning eight titles including two grand slam singles titles. 

At Rio 2016, Alcott won gold in the quad singles classification and teamed with Heath Davidson to win gold in the quad doubles. At Tokyo 2020, he defended his singles crown and, together with Davidson, won silver in the doubles. Alcott retired from wheelchair tennis after the Australian Open in January 2022, after which he was announced as the 2022 Australian of the Year.  

Alcott’s sporting achievements have been matched by his advocacy for people with a disability, which has included establishing the universally accessible music festival Ability Fest, being appointed Patron for International Day of People with Disability, and as a much sought after motivational speaker. 

His citation for being inducted as an Officer of the Order of Australia read “distinguished service to Paralympic sport, particularly to tennis, and as a role model for people with disability, and to the community through a range of organisations.”  

Alcott becomes just the 11^th Paralympian to be inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, which includes Kurt Fearnley, Louise Sauvage, Liesl Tesch, Libby Kosmala, Troy Sachs, Priya Cooper, Frank Ponta, Matt Cowdrey, David Hall and Michael Milton. 

Alcott is joined as a new Athlete Member by Olympic moguls gold medallist Dale Begg-Smith; three-time Olympic basketball medallist Sandy Brondello; record eight-time Australian Ironman champion Shannon Eckstein; four-time World Cup-winning cricketer Lisa Sthalekar and four-time Olympic softball medallist Natalie Ward. 

Zoe Burr

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