ALCOTT Dylan

Classification
Quad (ITTF, 25 Feb 2021)

Type of Impairment
Spinal Cord Injuries (IWBF, 11 Dec 2014)

Origin of Impairment
Congenital (itftennis.com, 05 Aug 2020)

Impairment Details
He was born with a tumour wrapped around his spinal cord. It was able to be removed with surgery, but the procedure left him with quadriplegia. (itftennis.com, 05 Aug 2020; usopen.org, 08 Sep 2017)

General
RETIREMENT PLAN
In 2021 he announced his potential retirement after the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. "It's a feeling, I think. I'll play that match point, whatever that match is hopefully in Tokyo and I'll know if I want to keep going or not. I just want to get to the Paralympic Games. But I might hit that last ball at the Paralympic Games and be like 'I'm done'. You know when you know, and I know I am getting close. And it is not because I have lost the passion to play tennis, it's because I do TV, radio, got my foundation, a couple of companies. It adds up and there's only so long you can spin the plates for." (tennis.com.au, 19 Feb 2021; theage.com.au, 18 Feb 2021)

WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL BACKGROUND
He took up wheelchair basketball in 2003 and at age 14 he switched from his previous sport, wheelchair tennis, to focus on basketball. He went on to win Paralympic gold [2008] and world championship gold [2010] in the sport before returning to wheelchair tennis after winning silver at the 2012 Paralympic Games. "I had to choose between basketball and tennis because I had a better chance of winning a gold medal [at the Paralympic Games] in basketball. I love both sports equally. I was just probably better at basketball back in the day." (SportsDeskOnline, 19 Jun 2020; bbc.co.uk, 18 Jun 2020; tennis.com.au, 13 Jun 2014; paralympic.org.au, 07 Jan 2012; ABC TV Sport, 31 Aug 2009)

BULLYING
He was bullied for his impairment during his childhood. "I used to love having a disability up until I was about 12 or 13 years old. And that's when I really started to struggle because I got bullied extensively, got called a 'cripple' and a bunch of other words. For about two years I sat at home, embarrassed to leave the house because I wasn't proud of who I was." (itftennis.com, 05 Aug 2020)

FOUNDATION
In 2017 he launched the Dylan Alcott Foundation, a charitable organisation focusing on young Australians with impairments. "[The foundation] gives scholarships and mentoring to young kids with disabilities who are having trouble coming to terms with their disabilities and to help improve their quality of life, to play tennis, to get into school, to play music - whatever they want to do." (Dylan Alcott Foundation Facebook page, 09 Jun 2021; tennis.com.au, 06 Nov 2017; usopen.org, 08 Sep 2017)