DOB: 2/11/1999
Dylan Littlehales has been a successful recipient of a Tier 2 Scholarship within the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship & Mentoring Program.
A rising star in Para-canoe, born with a rare limb deficiency in his right leg congenital fibula hemimelia, Dylan made his Australian debut at 15, hitting international waters for the first time at the 2015 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Canoe Sprint and Para-canoe World Championships in Milan, Italy. Although he was the youngest competitor in Milan by three years, Dylan raced strongly to record a top eight result in the B final of the men’s kayak KL3.
A combination of hard work and raw talent meant that it did not take Dylan long to prove to selectors that he was worthy of a place on the 2016 Australian Paralympic Team. Training under Andrea Wood, he spent six days a week on the water and three days a week in the gym preparing for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, modelling his style after Australian able-bodied paddlers Lachlan Tame and Rob McIntyre.
Dylan not only achieved his goal of a Paralympic debut in Rio, but placed sixth in his semi-final, finishing just 2.406 seconds behind the fastest qualifier, and shaving more than a second off the time he clocked in his heat.
Since then, Dylan has been in the best form of his life. At the 2017 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Račice, Czech Republic, he finished two steps from the podium in fifth place, and won his first international medal – a bronze – at the 2018 ICF Canoe Sprint and Para-canoe World Cup in Szeged, Hungary. He placed fourth at the 2019 ICF Para-canoe World Championships, also in Szeged.
Bio from Paralympics Australia
Dylan speaks of his selection within the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship & Mentoring Program:
“It is a tremendous honour for myself to become a part of the SAHOF family and be recognised for my achievement on and off the water. I look forward to taking my performance to the next level with the support of SAHOF.”
Facts
Birthplace: Gosford
Nationality: Australian
Sport: Para-canoe
Disciplines: Kayak – KL3
First & Current Club: Avoca Kayak Club
First started: 2014 (14 years old)
Studying: Bachelor Psychological Science
Hero: Steven Gerrard
Rankings – as at Sep 2020
Snr Int: 4
Snr Nat: 1
Awards, Honours & Achievements
- 2019: Paracanoe World Championships – 4th
- 2019: Paracanoe World Cup – 4th
- 2019: Oceania Championships – Gold
- 2018: Paracanoe World Championships – 5th
- 2018: Paracanoe World Cup – 3rd
- 2018: World Cup – Bronze
- 2016: Rio Paralympic Games – Representative
Last updated 16/09/2020
