For the first time in the award's 62-year history, a person with a disability has been named Australian of the Year.
Dylan Alcott has won 23 quad wheelchair grand slams in tennis. Photo: AFP
Dylan Alcott, a 31-year-old athlete, Paralympian, philanthropist, media commentator and advocate, has received the prestigious award for achievements in both his sport and his disability awareness work.
Alcott began his athletic career in wheelchair basketball, then switched sports to tennis. He now has 23 quad wheelchair grand slams and a Newcombe Medal, and is the first male in history to win a Golden Slam in any form of tennis.
But Alcott's sporting achievements are not the main reason he was named Australian of the Year, he is also being recognised for his work uplifting Australians with a disability.
He received an Order of Australia medal in 2009 for services to sport, and in 2017 he founded the Dylan Alcott Foundation to provide scholarships and grant funding to marginalised Australians with a disability.
In the same year he co-founded disability and accessibility training start-up Get Skilled Access.
He organised AbilityFest, Australia's first and only inclusive, fully accessible music festival, and wrote his best-selling autobiography Able.
Alcott's achievements do not end with his advocacy, he is also a philanthropist, and in 2014 set the world record for the longest continuous playing of wheelchair tennis - 24 hours non-stop - to raise funds for The Starlight Foundation and the Children's Charity.
He received an Order of Australia in 2009 at just 18 years of age, was named GQ Sportsman of the Year for 2016, and 2016 Paralympian of the Year.
Dylan Alcott is being recognised for his work uplifting Australians with a disability. Photo: AFP
'I used to hate having a disability'
In his acceptance speech, Alcott said that, as a teenager, he hated using a wheelchair because he didn't see anyone who looked like him in the mainstream media.
"I've been in a wheelchair my whole life … I've known nothing but having a disability," he said.
"If I'm honest with you, I can't tell you how much I used to hate myself. I used to hate having a disability. I hated being different.
"And, whenever I turned on the TV or the radio or the newspaper, I never saw anybody like me. And, whenever I did, it was a road safety ad where someone drink drives, has a car accident and what's the next scene? Someone like me in tears because their life was over.
"I thought to myself, 'That's not my life', but I believed that was going to be my life. But I'm so lucky that I had one of the best families, some of the best friends, my beautiful partner and my whole team who told me that I was worthy.
"I'm honestly so honoured to be up here and it's because of them and everybody in my life that I sit here as a proud man with a disability tonight."
Photo: AFP
While accepting his award, Alcott made light of the crowd's standing ovation.
"I think standing ovations are one of the most ironic things in the world, by the way. But I'll take them, without a doubt," he joked.
He said he also didn't believe he was in with a chance for the top award, but the "really good-looking ramp" at the award ceremony at the National Arboretum in Canberra made him think he might stand a shot.
"The last two years have been so tough on so many people and I feel honestly ridiculous being here," he said.
"To our frontline workers, our nurses, our doctors, people running our vaccines, ambulances, firefighters, you deserve this much more than a guy who hits tennis balls and loves talking. I really mean that. It's such a huge honour."
Alcott also paid tribute to 2021's Australian of the Year Grace Tame.
"Tame, you are fierce and I love it," he said.
"You have done so much for your cause and if I could be one-eighth of the Australian of the Year that you were, I think I've done my job.
"When I won the US Open I skolled a beer out of my trophy and you said, 'If I got to pass the mantle over to this guy, I'd be honoured. But we have to skoll the beer together'. Give me a couple of days and then we can do it. Not just yet."
Alcott is about to contest the final of the quad wheelchair singles at the Australian Open in Melbourne. If he wins it will be his eighth Australian Open title.
- ABC