The legendary Paralympian has mastered wheelchair basketball and tennis. Now he’s taking aim at golf, and no record is safe.
Dylan Alcott has spent his entire life inspiring those around him. Born with a tumour wrapped around his spinal cord, the loveable Melburnian and 2022 Australian of the Year required surgery during the first few weeks of his life. While the tumour was successfully removed, the procedure left him a paraplegic. Determined to not let such a tragedy stop him from living a full life, Alcott turned to sport. And what a move it was. From Grand Slam tennis courts to Paralympic podiums, the 34-year-old has broken records, shattered barriers and inspired a nation. Now, he’s fallen for a new challenge – golf. And the bad news for his opponents is, he’s hooked!
Through the support of Callaway Golf, Alcott is equipped to rise to yet another sporting challenge, and champion inclusivity along the way. In this game, Alcott’s not chasing Grand Slams, he’s chasing birdies. He’s not out to break par, he’s out to break more barriers. Ultimately, by rolling around the fairways in his day-to-day wheelchair, Alcott hopes to encourage more people with disabilities to pick up a golf club.
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On catching the golf bug…
I love golf. I’m playing a couple of times a week. I never thought I could play golf, as someone in a wheelchair. To me, golf wasn’t seen as the most accessible and inclusive sport in the past and I wanted to change that. Callaway has been awesome on that front. They’ve bent down the lie of my clubs so I can swing while seated in my wheelchair. I’m playing off 27 or something like that and I’m just loving it. I’ve quickly learnt that golf is just such a beautiful sport where you get outdoors and turn your phone off. For your mental health, there’s nothing better.
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On whether it’s been a humbling experience, coming from a sport – tennis – he dominated…
It’s 100 percent been a humbling experience. It’s also humbling for my mates when they lose to a guy in a wheelchair playing one-handed!
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On what he loves most about hitting the fairways…
I genuinely just enjoy getting better every day and don’t get too competitive out there. But the way golf has embraced me gives me real hope for more people with a disability to get out there and be able to play. I put a video up online of me driving it 200 metres and it got, like, 10 million views! And the amount of people that had car accidents or injuries who were like, “I thought I could never play golf, but now I want to start” – that’s what it’s all about. It’s also great educating clubs that we don’t mark the greens [with our wheelchairs] and we can play like everyone else. It’s been a really cool journey so far and I look forward to playing as much golf as I can.
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On the modifications Callaway has made to his equipment…
When I used an able-bodied-length club, the club sat off the ground by about 25 degrees. So, I worked with Callaway here in Australia and they bent the lie down of the club to 21 degrees, so my clubs sit flat. I hit all my irons and woods off the deck. It’s so cool. I just play in my everyday wheelchair. I’ve got this little attachment on the front that lifts my front wheels up. I own this company called Rove, and we designed it especially so I don’t mark the greens and I can get around the course unrestricted. I like to hang onto the side of a moving golf cart when my arms are getting a bit tired, to get a free ride to my ball. I love it.
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On his goals for the rest of this year…
I want to break the wheelchair course record, which doesn’t exist, so every time I play golf, I break it. You know what, the longest drive in a wheelchair sitting down is 147 metres. So potentially, later in the year, I want to do something for my foundation and break the world record, so stay tuned!
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Watch the full interview