Dylan Littlehales

Dylan’s journey is one of resilience and overcoming the odds, starting from day one when he was born with a limb deficiency in his right leg, no ACL, and a significant portion of his right hip missing.

Despite spending much of his childhood in hospital beds, watching his friends play from the sidelines, Dylan has always been determined to seize any opportunity presented to him. From learning to walk at age seven to running a school cross-country race on crutches with a broken leg, his "never quit" attitude and love for sport naturally led him to a career in the Paralympics. He first started as a junior swimmer before transitioning to Paracanoe in 2014. In 2015, he became the youngest athlete ever to represent at a senior world championship at age 15. Dylan has since gone on to win a world championship in 2023 and has competed in three Paralympics, finishing fourth in Tokyo and winning silver in Paris over 200 meters.

Not content as a sprinter, six weeks after winning the world championship, Dylan undertook the Hawkesbury Classic, a 111km ultra-endurance overnight paddle, raising money for Cancer Council Australia following his mother's diagnosis with breast cancer and months later, his father's diagnosis with bowel cancer.

Dylan also values the importance of education. Despite failing much of his primary schooling due to lack of attendance (due to time in hospital), he is now undertaking an Honours thesis in Psychological Science. Displaying again what can happen if you just try.

Dylan is an inspiration to all, sharing not only stories but also messages about making the most of every opportunity, valuing those around you, and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to become a better version of yourself.