"I love my disability" he said, "it is the best thing that ever happened to me, it really is, and I'm so thankful for the life that I get to live."

But the 31-year-old tennis star, paralympian, commentator and disability advocate said the road to acceptance wasn't easy.

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"I used to hate myself, I hated being different and I didn't want to be here anymore," he said.

The lack of disability representation in mainstream media took a toll on Mr Alcott's mental health.

"Whenever I turned on the TV, or the radio or the newspaper, I never saw anybody like me," he said.

"And whenever I did, it was a road safety ad where someone drink drives, has a car accident and what's the next scene? Someone like me in tears because their life was over.

"And I thought to myself, 'that's not my life', but I believed that was going to be my life."

However, as Alcott went on to achieve tremendous athletic success, winning 15 grand slam titles in the men's tennis wheelchair singles, tides began to change for young people with disabilities.

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Suddenly, media stations were blasting his matches across the air, and young people with disabilities began to take notice.

In his Australian Open final on Thursday, Channel 9 delayed their 6pm news bulletin to broadcast the match - of which 500 children in wheelchairs were in attendance.

For young central Victorian athletes Ben Davies, Sean Pearce and Nick Fitzpatrick, Dylan Alcott's appointment as 2022 Australian of the year is the representation they've waited so long for.

"I saw him on the telly the other night", Mr Pearce said, "and what he's done for us in sport just goes to show that people with disabilities can do whatever they want."

"We also have ambitions and goals, we want to get out there and do things like everyone else."

Mr Pearce, an avid baseball player for both Bendigo East and Melbourne's North Coburg clubs, said he's faced a lot of backlash in his sporting career.

"I used to play football, but after a while, because I had a disability they just kicked me out," he said, "but baseball has been a really welcoming thing for me."

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Ben Davies, now a star player of South Bendigo's all ability football club, the Fida Suns, spoke of similar experiences of discrimination early in his career.

"I started playing soccer, I did that for 12 to 13 years" he said.

"Eventually my coach said I wasn't able to play because of my disability.

"That kinda took all the energy out of me."

But it's clear within the community, the support these young athletes get from each other is what keeps them motivated.

"When you have an illness and clubs won't let you play, it really lowers your confidence," Mr Pearce said, "but look at Ben now, he's playing really great footy - it's just fantastic."

Bendigo community disability ambassador and keen footy player Nick Fitzpatrick says the importance of sport in his community cannot be underestimated.

"The lockdown really cut off our will to do things, when people couldn't participate in sport it made it really difficult," he said.

"Sport gives us such a good outlet.

"If you look at how Dylan started he just seemed to go 'oh yeah, I'll get on with it and no one will mind.'

"That's the thing for us, we're just ready to get on with it."

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While things seem to be picking up pace in the disability space, the sense that these boys are just keen to get back out on the field is palpable.

Within the group, there is a feeling of hope that conversations are changing, and that perhaps they themselves could be the next generation of representation for young athletes with disabilities.

But for now, the boys are squirming in their boots, itching to have a kick and get on with their lives - regardless of what's held them back in the past.

"We may be disabled," Mr Fitzpatrick said,

"But that doesn't mean we won't be out there."

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