The Dylan Alcott Foundation’s latest initiative aims to address the disparities in support often faced by Paralympians compared to their Olympic and other athlete counterparts.
“Paralympians sometimes don’t get the support that the Olympians or other athletes get, and that’s not fair because we are elite as well,” Alcott said.
“You might only know a handful of Paralympic athletes.
“That’s not fair, and that is about to change.
“These are the future alright.”
The academy currently provides assistance to 11 young professional athletes, offering mentorship, nutritional guidance, and essential training gear.
“We’ve got winter sports, paratriathlon, basketball, boccia, because we don’t just want to pick the sports like a tennis academy,” Alcott said.
Among the young athletes benefiting from this initiative is 17-year-old swimmer Callum Simpson, who dreams of becoming a Paralympic gold medalist.
“I love to swim and I love to prove people wrong,” Simpson said.
Alcott, who is the number one wheelchair tennis player in the world, said the initiative was his way of giving back.
“Everyone has backed me so much and I just wanna pass on a bit of that to these kids,” he said.
