Whilst Australia’s paralympic team continues to wow the international sporting community over the last week, the Dylan Alcott Foundation made an exciting announcement on the Gold Coast. 

In collaboration with Nike, the Dylan Alcott Foundation will open a new nationwide sporting academy designed to support para-athletes in performing to the best of their ability and reach paralympic excellence.

“This academy is the first of its kind, breaking down barriers and challenging the norms in the sporting world. As a collective, the DAF and Nike are here to showcase and nurture these athletes to show the world just what us athletes are capable of,” reveals Dylan Alcott AO.

The Dylan Alcott Foundation Nike Academy opted to reveal this exciting new development from the Gold Coast due to the city’s existing community of para-athletes.

“Coincidentally, a large number of our first round Academy selected athletes resided in QLD thus it was used as a base for all athletes across Australia to come together for our shoot launch,” shares Dylan Alcott Foundation’s general manager Georgie Saggers. 

“The Gold Coast is home to many elite sporting training programs and that continues to grow as we head towards Brisbane.”

The new project seeks to tackle the gaps in funding for paralympic athletes by providing world-class training facilities and holistic support such as equipment, mentoring, sport psych and access to training kits.

“The Dylan Alcott Foundation Nike Academy was established from Dylan’s personal experience within the Paralympic world and its limited development opportunities for elite athletes with disability.”

With 11 athletes currently in training, the academy aims to be supporting more than 20 academy athletes by the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

“This national academy has the appetite and drive to grow and develop these talented athletes within their respective principles …” says Georgie

“There is a hope that with further support, we can have a bigger team in years to come and continue to inspire and motivate the youth who are growing up dreaming of one day becoming an elite athlete themselves.”

By partnering with a globally recognised brand like Nike, the academy looks to challenge societal perceptions of elite sport. 

“Having witnessed first hand how instrumental supportive partners could be for Dylan’s personal career, it is incredibly impactful to have a partner like Nike continue this support to a broader group of athletes. We can’t wait to see what they can all achieve with an improved level of support,” adds Georgie.

The academy supports athletes nationwide, and applications can be submitted via The Dylan Alcott Foundation website.