An Australian wheelchair sporting legend has joked about the long year ahead of being mistaken for newly crowned Australian of Year Dylan Alcott.
The retiring wheelchair tennis star was awarded the prestigious title on Tuesday night as he prepares to win his eighth consecutive title at the Australian Open in what will be his last tournament.
Five-time Paralympic wheelchair track athlete Kurt Fearnley was inundated with messages from well-wishers intended for Alcott shortly after the announcement.
Fearnley himself was a Australian of the Year finalist three years ago as the NSW winner for his outstanding sporting career spanning 20 years and work as a disability advocate.
Kurt Fearnley (right) has again been the subject of mistaken identity after fellow wheelchair sporting legend Dylan Alcott (left) was named 2022 Australian of the Year
The ABC presenter and triple Paralympic gold medallist found the funny side of being wrongly mistaken for Alcott as he shared screenshots of messages from well-meaning fans.
‘And the messages have started… Gunna be a long year. #NotDylan,’ he tweeted.
Former Hockeyroos star Georgie Parker was in on the joke as she shared screenshots of a series of texts with ‘Kurt Not Dylan Alcott Fearnley.’
He responded by saying he enjoyed watching Parker on Aussie television drama A Country Practice, referring to the Aussie actress with the same name.
Fearnley doubled down the next morning and said he gets mistaken for Alcott on a regular basis.
Kurt Fearnley (with wife Sheridan) tried to clear up the confusion with the hashtag #NotDylan
Fearnley took to Twitter afterwards to joke about the long year ahead of being mistaken as the Australian of Year
‘I’m gunna have to get #NotDylan shirts printed for real life. Although I reckon people would think “I’m” being ironic! The funniest is when people call me Kurt, talk about Kokoda, & then congratulate me on Wimbledon or talk about the ANZ ad,’ he tweeted the next day
‘I reckon (once I’m back out in the world) I’ll start tweeting #NotDylan every single time I’m Dylan’d in public… You’re welcome.
The follow-up tweet sparked a cheeky response from Alcott.
‘Mate, welcome to my world. I’ve been #notKurting for a well over a decade now,’ he fired back.
Former Hockeyroos star Georgie Parker shared a series of texts she had with Kurt Fearnley
Retiring wheelchair tennis champion Dylan Alcott (pictured with partner Chantelle) was named the 2022 Australian of the Year on Tuesday night
Fans suggested Fearnley take advantage of his mistaken identity,
‘You’re at a pub and someone wants to shout you a beer for being Australian of the Year…In that case – ‘Hi I’m Dylan, nice to meet you,’ one commented.
Fearnley hopes Alcott brings people together but also challenges the country in his new role over the next 12 months.
‘It kind of forces people to view everything through the lens of disability,’ he told the ABC’s The Drum on Wednesday.
‘When I heard Dylan’s name get called out yesterday, I felt a bit of relief because I’ve been part of this amazing community.
‘The Paralympians have been around for 62 years in this country, and a lot of them have been saying the same things, that Dylan says, from uncle Kevin, our first Paralympian, an Indigenous Australian, through to our youngest Australian Paralympian, the common theme has always been, give people with disability the options.
Fearnley’s tweets about mistaken identity sparked a cheeky reply from Dylan Alcott
‘It feels like now Dylan has this because the community is ready for it. This country was not ready for this in 1960, we were not ready for this with Louise Savage who was dominant for a decade, we gave it to other athletes at that point in time that were a long way from this.
‘I only hope that he brings people together with the challenges and every word that he says, because we need be challenged when it comes to disability.
‘We cannot be comfortable because if we become comfortable, our lives, people with disability’s lives, will go backwards. And none of us can afford to do that.’
Alcott has won 23 tennis grand slam titles overall, including 15 singles titles and eight doubles titles, along with four Paralympic gold medals in wheelchair tennis and basketball.
He takes on Dutch rival Sam Schröder in the wheelchair quads men’s final on Rod Laver Arena on Thursday from 3.30pm.