Charging in to another Australian Open final on Tuesday was the first part of a big day for Australian of the Year nominee Dylan Alcott who will make a quick dash to Canberra for the awards ceremony.
Despite his on and off-court achievements, the winner of the Golden Slam and huge advocate for people with a disability doesn’t think he’ll win the major award.
“We are flying to Canberra at 4. The awards, the winner is Patty Mills, then I fly home. Yeah, have to be home tonight,” Alcott said after his semi-final win at Melbourne Park on Tuesday.
“Look, all the nine nominees for Australian of the Year — nine? — are amazing. I honestly think I was making up the numbers.
“I talked to my team. I was like, Look, if by the very odd chance you have a win, you cannot do that on Zoom. So many people with disability should have won that award over the years but haven‘t.
“It would just be — I would never forgive myself if I don’t go, even though I don’t think I’m going to get up. I’m going to go. I always do stuff like this.
“I love getting among life and having a crack. Cool story. When they announce someone else‘s name, I’ll listen to the speech, then just walk straight out onto a plane and come home (laughter).”
Alcott, who will retire from tennis after this year’s Australian Open final on Thursday, said he wasn’t defined by awards anyway, be they for tennis or otherwise and that he would never, ever stop advocating for xjmtzywhis cause
“My purpose is changing perceptions so people with disability can live the lives they want to live,” he said.
“I hope it means a lot to a lot of people. Even just being nominated.
“It would just be so cool for a person with disability to get up there and be able to have that. Been Young Australian of the Year, Senior, all that, just not many Australians of the Year.
“Also to be given that platform to talk about what you‘re passionate about is super cool. To be able to get up there and talk about what you’re passionate about would be pretty cool, try and live out your purpose through that.
“But awards are funny because you have no control over it/what do they even mean? You can still do your purpose every day regardless if you win that.
“I don’t even know anything about it, how you do it, who votes, anything about it. All you can do is be you every day, that’s all I am. If I won that, I would be humbled, honoured, forever grateful.”
