Dylan Alcott may have stepped away from his career as a pro athlete, but that doesn’t mean he’s hanging up his racquet completely. The beloved tennis champ has set his sights on a new endeavour, that’s all about supporting and inspiring young people with disabilities to reach the top of their game.
The former Paralympian’s foundation is launching a new fundraiser called Giving Day, held on November 1, and he’s calling on fellow Aussies to dig deep to help young people with disabilities who have big dreams just like he did.
“When I was growing up… one thing I really struggled with was that I was into sport and so was my brother,” says Alcott. “He got a $100 pair of footy boots and that meant he could try playing footy. I needed a $7,000 wheelchair, to even try wheelchair tennis.”
The foundation is aiming to raise $100,000 in donations to go towards grants for young people with disabilities to help them achieve their full potential, with tailored support to meet their needs. Every donation will be matched by the foundation’s partners, raising double the amount for the very worthy cause.
“There are nearly a million young people with a disability in Australia alone, we don't get the same opportunities to access education, employment, sport… we're trying to eliminate some of those barriers,” says Alcott.
“Growing up, I didn't see anybody like me… we just want to empower and invest in young people with disabilities so they can be the best version of themselves, get out there in the world and have an impact.”
To make a donation to the Dylan Alcott Foundation Giving Day, you can visit the website here.
