Paralympic athlete Dylan Alcott has made the painful admission that he struggled with body image in the past and admitted that exercise saved his life.
The Australian wheelchair sports champion, 33, is on the cover of the upcoming Men’s Health Australia and told the publication that he was bullied as a child because of his disability and that he found his outlet in sports.
“I’ve always loved sports, but as a kid I couldn’t really get into it. What really saved my life was finding the Paralympic sport,” Dylan began.
“Not only the physical and mental benefits I experienced, but also finding my community: other people with disabilities who were thriving.”
The Melbourne-born athlete said he wishes he had seen people with disabilities playing sports as a child as it would have boosted his morale immensely.
“I’ve never seen anyone like me do something like that. That would have been life-changing for me when I was really struggling with my self-worth and my body image. It would have been incredible.”
Dylan admitted that participating in wheelchair sports gave him a new purpose in his life, which gave him a better outlook on life.
“It made me feel free. Free from my own lack of self-worth, free from being bullied. I was out there and having a crack. It was just amazing.”
Paralympic athlete Dylan Alcott (pictured) made the painful admission on Saturday that he struggled with his body image as a child and revealed that exercise saved his life
Alcott won a gold medal with the Australian wheelchair basketball team, the Rollers, at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games and took home a silver medal at the 2012 London Games.
After the Australian Open in January 2022, he retired and is now a commentator at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Elsewhere, the esteemed Paralympic athlete recently signed a deal to create a fictional series for middle school-aged children to celebrate and normalise disability, difference and inclusivity.
Alcott was born with a tumor wrapped around his spinal cord. After surgery to remove the tumor, he was left paralyzed.
The Australian wheelchair sports champion, 33, is on the cover of the upcoming Men’s Health Australia magazine and told the publication he was bullied as a child because of his disability and found his outlet in sport.
During his career as a wheelchair tennis and basketball player, he won several Grand Slam titles and gold medals at the Paralympic Games.
Alcott’s remarkable career also includes achieving a Golden Slam in 2021, winning all four major titles and the Paralympic gold medal in the same year.
In 2022, Alcott was named Australian of the Year and appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.
Dylan revealed that getting involved in wheelchair sports gave him a new purpose in life, which gave him an improved outlook on life