Dylan Alcott

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Dylan Alcott OAM

2016 Australian Paralympic Team portrait of Alcott
Personal information
Nationality Australian
Born (1990-12-04) 4 December 1990
Melbourne, Australia
Medal record
Representing  Australia
Men's wheelchair basketball
Paralympic Games
2008 Beijing Team Competition
2012 London Men's wheelchair basketball
World Championship
2010 Birmingham Team
Men's Wheelchair tennis
Paralympic Games
2016 Rio Men's Quad Singles
2016 Rio Men's Quad Doubles

Dylan Martin Alcott, OAM[1] (born 4 December 1990) is an Australian wheelchair basketballer, wheelchair tennis player and motivational speaker. Alcott was a member of the Australian "Rollers" wheelchair basketball team and a crucial component in the Rollers gold medal win at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. At the age of 17 he became the youngest ever gold medal winner for wheelchair basketball, and was the youngest to compete in the Wheelchair Basketball competition.[2] In 2014, he returned to wheelchair tennis with the aiming of participating at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.[2][3] At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, he won gold medals in the Men's Quad Singles and Doubles.[4][5] He was named the 2016 Australian Paralympian of the Year due to his outstanding achievements at Rio Paralympics. [6]

Early life

Alcott was born in Melbourne to parents Martin and Resie. He has an older brother Zack.[2] He was born with a tumor wrapped around his spinal cord which was operated on during the first few weeks of his life.[7] The tumor was successfully cut out, however it left Alcott a paraplegic, leaving him wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life.

Alcott attended Brighton Grammar School from grade 6, and quickly developed a love for sport, and competed for Victoria in swimming, and Australia for wheelchair tennis and wheelchair basketball. Alcott graduated Brighton Grammar school in 2008 as a prefect, and is now a member of their school Hall of Fame.[7]

Alcott's first sport of choice was wheelchair tennis, where he represented Australia on numerous occasions, reaching a career high ranking of 100 in the world (4th in the world under-18s at the age of 16).

Basketball

Alcott in a game versus Great Britain

Alcott played his first game of wheelchair basketball at 14 years and 6 months.[2] He was encouraged to play basketball due to his 6’4” arms and big hands. [2] Alcott made his debut for the rollers in the VISA paralympic world cup, where they won a medal. He continued to hold his spot and was a member of the Rollers who travelled to the Beijing warm up tournament in January 2008. He has made his name in basketball through his impressive performances in the national league competition, competing for the Dandenong Rangers and being selected in the all star team for 2008. He has achieved success through junior competition as well; being named the Most Valuable Player at the Junior National Basketball Championships.

He was part of the gold medal winning Australia men's national wheelchair basketball team at the 2008 Summer Paralympics,[8][9] for which he received a Medal of the Order of Australia.[1] In his first Paralympics Dylan was quoted; "To be 17 and win gold... well it just doesn't get any better than that".[10]

In 2009, Alcott accepted a scholarship at the University or Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, where he went on to win the College Championship division with the University of Illinois wheelchair basketball team. After one year of study, he decided to move back to Melbourne to train for the 2012 London Paralympic Games.

In 2010, Alcott was a part of the Rollers success at the 2010 World Championships in Birmingham, England. It was the first world championship the Australian wheelchair basketball team had ever won, and Alcott was named in the World All Star 5 for the tournament.

At the 2012 Summer Paralympics he was part of the Australian men's wheelchair team that won silver.[11]

Tennis

Alcott during the Swiss open 2014 in Geneva

In 2014, Alcott returned to wheelchair tennis, his first real love.[12] At the age of 16, he was ranked inside the top five juniors in the world.[12] In July 2014, he defeated beat world number three Andy Lapthorne 7–5 6–1 in the British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championship final in Nottingham to win his first Super Series crown.[13] Early in the year, he won the New Zealand Open in just his second tournament appearance.[13] In January 2015, he won the quad wheelchair Australian Open title by defeating David Wagner in straight sets.[14] It was his maiden grand slam title.[14] At the conclusion on 2015, he was ranked number 1 after winning eight titles including two grand slam singles titles.[3]

Grand Slam Singles Quad Wheelchair Results

Outcome Year Championship Surface Opponents Score
Winner2015Australian Open HardUnited States David Wagner6–2, 6–3
Winner2015US Open HardUnited States David Wagner6–1 4–6 7–5
Winner2016Australian Open HardUnited States David Wagner6–2, 6–2

[15]

Paralympic Games

Alcott teamed up with Heath Davidson to win the Men's Quad Doubles gold medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.[4] They defeated the reigning champions David Wagner and Nick Taylor in the gold medal match 4–6, 6–4, 7–5. [4] The day after winning gold in the Men's Doubles, he defeated Andy Lapthorne 6-3 6-4 to win the gold medal. [4]

Personal life

Alcott is currently studying at the University of Melbourne where he is undertaking a Commerce degree. He currently works as a motivational speaker, inspiring the youth of today to change the way that they perceive people with disabilities. Alcott aspires to work in mainstream media as a television presenter, as he believes this will speak volumes for people with disabilities, giving them added exposure in which they deserve.

In his spare time, Alcott loves music festivals, and has become world famous for his 'wheelchair crowdsurfing'.[16]

Alcott advice to young people with a disability is: " The biggest thing is that for every one thing you can’t do, there are 10,000 others you can. For every one idiot to give you a hard time, there are 10,000 others worth your time." [2]

Recognition

References

  1. 1 2 "Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)". ABC News. 27 January 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McLachlan, Hamish (7 November 2015). "Hamish McLachlan: What you didn't know about paralympian Dylan Alcott". Herald Sun. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Fan favourite Alcott defends quad wheelchair title". AustralianTennis Open website. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Dylan Alcott". Rio Paralympics Official site. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "Paralympic glory in sight for Australia's wheelchair tennis athletes". Australian Paralympic Committee website. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Alcott crowned Paralympian of the Year". Australian Paralympic Committee News. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  7. 1 2 A c h i e v i n g S u c c e s s I n L i f e, L e a r n i n g & S p o r t : Eight School Aged Athletes Share Their Journey. Melbourne: Victorian Institute of Sport. 2008.
  8. ↑ McGarry, Andrew (4 September 2008). "Event guide: Wheelchair basketball". ABC. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  9. ↑ "Basketball Chronology". Basketball Australia. 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  10. ↑ "Athlete Profile – Dylan Alcott". Australian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  11. ↑ "Men's Wheelchair Basketball Results". London 2012 Paralympic Games. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  12. 1 2 "Australia's Dylan Alcott returns to first love". International Paralympic Committee News, 10 February. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Dylan Alcott wins the British Open Tennis Crown". Australian Paralympic Committee News, 21 July 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  14. 1 2 Morgan, Liam. "Alcott claims maiden Grand Slam title in front of home crowd at Australian Open". Inside the Games, 31 January 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  15. ↑ "Dylan Alcott". International Tennis Federation website. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  16. ↑ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/confidential/paralympian-dylan-alcott-wows-crowd-at-meredith-music-festival/story-fnn7ma1h-1227155912913
  17. ↑ McGowan, Marc (24 November 2015). "Dylan Alcott's Newcombe medal snub a bad look following Kyrgios/Tomic excuse". Adelaide Advertiser. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  18. ↑ "Australian Tennis Awards Honour Roll". Tennis Australia website. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  19. ↑ "Victorian Champion Wins VIS Sport Of Excellence Award". Minister of Sport and Recreation Media Releasr.
  20. ↑ "The Best of the Best Honoured at the Victorian Sports Awards". Best of the Best Honoured at the Victorian Sports Awards.
  21. ↑ "'The Don' 2016 Finalists Announced". Sport Australia Hall of Fame website. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  22. ↑ "Alcott awarded 2016 Newcombe Medal". Tennis Australia website. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  23. ↑ "Mighty Mack wins Award of Excellence". Victorian Institute of Sport website. Retrieved 1 December 2016.

External links

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