The Times Australia
The Times News

.

Tennis champ Dylan Alcott is 2022 Australian of the Year

  • Written by Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Dylan Alcott, wheelchair tennis star and leading advocate for people with a disability, is the 2022 Australian of the Year.

With 23 quad wheelchair Grand Slam titles, including singles and doubles, Alcott, from Melbourne, last year became the first man, in any form of tennis, to win a Golden Slam.

He won the singles titles at the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. He also won the singles gold medal at the  Tokyo Paralympics.

On Thursday Alcott, 31, competes to his eighth straight Australian Open quad wheelchair singles final, playing Dutchman Sam Schröder. He has said he will retire from professional tennis after the Australian Open.

In earlier years he played in the Australian men’s national wheelchair basketball team, The Rollers. He was a member of the Rollers team that won gold at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

Alcott, a motivational speaker, founded the Dylan Alcott Foundation to provide scholarships and grant funding to marginalised Australians with a disability, and co-founded Get Skilled Access.

Ability Fest, Australia’s only completely inclusive and fully accessible music festival, was his brainchild. He has a widely-based media profile.

Alcott made a flying visit to receive the award from Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Canberra on Tuesday night.

This is the first time in the 62 years of the award that a person with a disability has been named Australian on the Year.

Chair of the National Australia Day Council Danielle Roche said: “Dylan is an inspirational Australian on and off the tennis court. Through the Dylan Alcott Foundation, he is giving young Australians facing disadvantage the promise of a better future.”

Receiving the award, Alcott said that as Australia opened up from the pandemic, “we’ve got to think about and prioritise people with disability – some of the most vulnerable people in our community. We’ve got to get them the vaccines and the tests and whatever else they need so they can get out there and start living their life.

"If a person with a disability needs a free daily RAT test so they feel confident going out and doing things that we all might take for granted, they’ve got to get that RAT test. We’ve got to keep improving more employment opportunities for people with a disability as well.”

Earlier on Tuesday, at a morning tea for finalists at The Lodge, Grace Tame, outgoing Australian of the Year and passionate advocate for victims of sexual abuse, set off an intense social media debate when she delivered a very deliberate snub to Morrison.

Her face was grimly unsmiling as she posed with Morrison and his wife Jenny, with her side-eying of the PM clear in the photos. Tame has been highly critical of Morrison at times over the past year.

The Senior Australian of the Year is Val Dempsey, 71, from Canberra, a St John Ambulance volunteer for more than half a century, starting as a cadet volunteer while at primary school.

Young Australian of the Year is Dr Daniel Nour, 26, from Sydney, founder of Street Side Medics, a not-for-profit, GP-led mobile medical service for homeless people. It has 145 volunteers and four clinics across NSW.

The 2022 Australia’s Local Hero is founder and CEO of Sober in the County, Shanna Whan, 47, of Narrabri, NSW.

Read more https://theconversation.com/tennis-champ-dylan-alcott-is-2022-australian-of-the-year-175657

Times Magazine

Building an AI-First Culture in Your Company

AI isn't just something to think about anymore - it's becoming part of how we live and work, whether we like it or not. At the office, it definitely helps us move faster. But here's the thing: just using tools like ChatGPT or plugging AI into your wo...

Data Management Isn't Just About Tech—Here’s Why It’s a Human Problem Too

Photo by Kevin Kuby Manuel O. Diaz Jr.We live in a world drowning in data. Every click, swipe, medical scan, and financial transaction generates information, so much that managing it all has become one of the biggest challenges of our digital age. Bu...

Headless CMS in Digital Twins and 3D Product Experiences

Image by freepik As the metaverse becomes more advanced and accessible, it's clear that multiple sectors will use digital twins and 3D product experiences to visualize, connect, and streamline efforts better. A digital twin is a virtual replica of ...

The Decline of Hyper-Casual: How Mid-Core Mobile Games Took Over in 2025

In recent years, the mobile gaming landscape has undergone a significant transformation, with mid-core mobile games emerging as the dominant force in app stores by 2025. This shift is underpinned by changing user habits and evolving monetization tr...

Understanding ITIL 4 and PRINCE2 Project Management Synergy

Key Highlights ITIL 4 focuses on IT service management, emphasising continual improvement and value creation through modern digital transformation approaches. PRINCE2 project management supports systematic planning and execution of projects wit...

What AI Adoption Means for the Future of Workplace Risk Management

Image by freepik As industrial operations become more complex and fast-paced, the risks faced by workers and employers alike continue to grow. Traditional safety models—reliant on manual oversight, reactive investigations, and standardised checklist...

The Times Features

Ricoh Launches IM C401F A4 Colour MFP to Boost Speed and Security in Hybrid Workplaces

Ricoh, a leading provider of smart workplace technology, today launched the RICOH IM C401F, an enterprise-grade A4 colour desktop multifunction printer (MFP) designed for Austral...

Why Diversification Still Matters in a Volatile Economy

Market volatility, geopolitical conflicts, inflation fears—these are only some of the wild cards that render the current financial environment a tightrope to walk. Amidst all thi...

Specialised nutrition gains momentum in supporting those living with early Alzheimer's disease

With high public interest in Alzheimer’s disease, there is growing awareness of the important role nutrition plays in supporting memory and cognitive function in people diagnosed...

From clinics to comfort: how sleep retreats are redefining care in Australia

Australia is amid a sleep health crisis. Nearly 40% of adults report inadequate sleep, and the consequences are far-reaching, impacting everything from cardiovascular health to...

Is our mental health determined by where we live – or is it the other way round? New research sheds more light

Ever felt like where you live is having an impact on your mental health? Turns out, you’re not imagining things. Our new analysis[1] of eight years of data from the New Zeal...

Going Off the Beaten Path? Here's How to Power Up Without the Grid

There’s something incredibly freeing about heading off the beaten path. No traffic, no crowded campsites, no glowing screens in every direction — just you, the landscape, and the...