Dylan Alcott AO is one of Australia’s most celebrated athletes, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and advocates for people with disability. A former Australian of the Year, Paralympic gold medallist, wheelchair tennis champion and founder of the Dylan Alcott Foundation, Dylan brings an extraordinary combination of achievement, lived experience, business insight and infectious energy to the corporate speaking stage.

While Dylan’s sporting achievements are remarkable, he is increasingly recognised for the impact he has created away from the sporting arena. His personal mission is to change perceptions of disability and help create a world where people of all abilities have the opportunity to live the lives they deserve. It is a message that resonates strongly with businesses looking to build more inclusive workplaces, develop high-performing cultures and understand the commercial importance of accessibility and diversity.

Born with a tumour wrapped around his spinal cord, Dylan became a paraplegic as a young child. Sport ultimately transformed his outlook and provided a pathway to confidence, opportunity and achievement. He won a Paralympic gold medal in wheelchair basketball at the 2008 Beijing Games before turning his attention to wheelchair tennis, where he established himself as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.

Dylan won four Paralympic gold medals and 23 quad wheelchair Grand Slam titles. In 2021, he achieved one of the rarest accomplishments in tennis, becoming the first male tennis player in history to win a Golden Slam – winning the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open, together with Paralympic gold in the same calendar year.

His achievements have been recognised with some of Australia’s highest honours. Dylan received an OAM in 2009, aged just 18, before being appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2022 for distinguished service to Paralympic sport, particularly tennis, as a role model for people with disability and through his contribution to the community. In 2016 he was awarded the Newcombe Medal and named GQ Sportsman of the Year. In 2022, following his remarkable 2021 season, he was named Australian of the Year.

For Dylan, however, his greatest achievements extend well beyond medals and trophies.

In 2017, he co-founded the Dylan Alcott Foundation, which works to remove financial and societal barriers facing young Australians living with disability. Through grants, scholarships, mentoring, advocacy and education, the Foundation creates opportunities for young people to pursue their ambitions across sport, education, business, the arts and employment. Its work has helped young Australians access everything from sporting equipment and coaching to university education, mentoring, creative careers and opportunities to establish businesses.

The Foundation has also developed Ability Fest, Australia’s first inclusive and accessible music festival. What began from Dylan’s love of music festivals has grown into a major platform for demonstrating what genuine accessibility and inclusion can look like. Ability Fest has expanded beyond Melbourne, with Brisbane added in 2024, and its 2026 event raised significant money for the Dylan Alcott Foundation.

Dylan’s advocacy also extends into the corporate world. Through his work as a business owner, speaker and disability advocate, he challenges organisations to look beyond traditional perceptions of disability and recognise the opportunities created by genuine inclusion. He has emphasised that disability inclusion is not simply a social responsibility issue – it can also make sound business sense by helping organisations better understand employees, customers and communities with disability.

This makes Dylan particularly powerful for corporate audiences. His presentations combine humour, honesty and highly personal storytelling with practical insights into resilience, leadership, culture, inclusion, overcoming adversity, high performance and challenging assumptions.

For leadership teams, Dylan provides a compelling perspective on creating environments where people can perform at their best. For sales and marketing audiences, he offers insight into the enormous commercial opportunity represented by people with disability. For HR and people leaders, his lived experience provides an authentic perspective on inclusion, accessibility and belonging. And for organisations navigating change or adversity, his story demonstrates the power of perspective, adaptability and refusing to allow circumstances to define potential.

Dylan is also an experienced media personality and communicator, having developed a strong public profile across television, radio, podcasts and major events. His ability to connect with audiences, tell stories and communicate complex ideas in an accessible and entertaining way has made him one of Australia’s most sought-after inspirational and corporate speakers.

Today, Dylan Alcott AO’s story is about far more than sporting success. It is about changing perceptions, creating opportunity and challenging individuals and organisations to rethink what is possible.

For corporate audiences, Dylan delivers a powerful message: the barriers that limit people are often created by perceptions, environments and systems – and those barriers can be changed.

Looking for another speaker like Dylan – please consider the following:

Sam Bloom, Turia Pitt, Jelena Dokic, Kurt Fearnley AO, Michael Crossland, Kath Koschel, Matt Formston, Ellie Cole AM, Mike Rolls, Layne Beachley AO, Nedd Brockmann, Anna Meares OAM, Barry Du Bois, Dr Jessica Gallagher, Rosie Batty AO, Cate Campbell OAM, Curtis McGrath OAM, Taryn Brumfitt