More people need to be proud of their disability instead of

In the radiant voice of courage and truth, Dylan Alcott, the Australian Paralympic champion and advocate for inclusion, spoke words that pierce the heart and uplift the soul: “More people need to be proud of their disability instead of shying away from it, because as soon as I became proud of it, I started dating, I started playing sport, everything happened.” Within these words lies not only a message for those with disabilities, but a teaching for all humanity — a lesson in self-acceptance, dignity, and the transforming power of pride born from truth. Alcott reminds us that to live fully, one must not hide from what the world calls difference, but rise and shine through it.

The origin of this wisdom comes not from theory, but from a life lived in struggle and triumph. Dylan Alcott, born with a spinal cord tumor that left him paraplegic, grew up facing the heavy gaze of a society that too often equates disability with limitation. For years, like many others, he wrestled with shame — the quiet kind that creeps into the mind when the world fails to see your worth. But through time, through sport, and through the fierce work of the spirit, he discovered a profound truth: pride is power. When he stopped hiding and began embracing who he was — wholly, visibly, unapologetically — his life transformed. Love, success, joy, and purpose flowed in like sunlight through an open window.

His quote reveals an eternal principle: true freedom begins in self-acceptance. A person who lives in shame, however gifted, walks with chains unseen. But when one dares to be proud — not arrogant, but proud in the sense of standing tall in one’s truth — the universe shifts in response. Alcott’s story is a living testament to this alchemy of spirit. By embracing his disability, he did not erase his challenges; he redefined them. His wheelchair ceased to be a symbol of limitation and became instead a chariot of triumph — carrying him to Olympic glory, to love, to leadership, and to joy.

The ancients, too, spoke of this power of self-knowledge and self-honor. The Oracle of Delphi bore the inscription: “Know thyself.” But to truly know oneself, one must not only see, but accept. Consider the Greek hero Hephaestus, the god of fire and craftsmanship. Cast from Olympus for his deformity, he limped through the earth in exile — yet from his forge came the weapons of the gods, the very armor of heroes. What was once his shame became his glory. His imperfection was not his downfall, but his divine identity. Alcott’s modern triumph mirrors that ancient truth: our wounds are not our weakness; they are the places where our strength is born.

When Alcott says, “as soon as I became proud of it, everything happened,” he reveals the secret of transformation. The external world moves in harmony with the inner one. Opportunity, friendship, and love are drawn not to perfection, but to authenticity. Pride in one’s true self radiates a magnetism that no mask can imitate. Before his awakening, Alcott hid; afterward, he shone — and in that light, others could finally see him, not as a body in a chair, but as a man of spirit, humor, and depth. In loving himself, he invited the world to love him too.

This teaching extends beyond disability to every form of human difference — race, gender, age, identity, and pain. The moment one stops apologizing for what makes them unique, the moment one steps out from behind the curtain of fear, life begins to unfold. The universe honors courage. The energy that was once spent in hiding transforms into creation, laughter, and connection. As Alcott found, pride opens doors that pity can never reach.

So let this be the lesson carried forward through time: never shrink from who you are. If there is something the world has taught you to hide, that is the very thing you must bring into the light. Be proud — not as rebellion, but as reverence for the life that beats within you. Stand tall in your difference, for that is where your divinity dwells. As Dylan Alcott teaches, pride is not the denial of struggle; it is the song that rises from it.

And thus, to every soul who listens: be proud of your scars, your struggles, your story. The world may not always understand, but the moment you do, everything begins to change. Pride, in its purest form, is freedom — and from freedom, all miracles flow.