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Meet Tegan and her faithful Guide Dog, Loui! 💕🐕
Like most 21-year-olds, Tegan lives a busy life juggling university study, gym sessions, working and spending time with friends.
Unlike most, she’s also training for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and Paralympics. But none of this would be possible for the dynamic sports woman and soon to be psychologist without Loui.
In 2021, she became WA’s youngest Guide Dog handler. Now, she balances full-time psychology studies at Curtin while training six days a week in tandem cycling.
“Having a Guide Dog has allowed me to explore an independence I never thought I’d have. With Loui by my side, I can confidently grab a coffee in the morning, head to a restaurant for lunch and go shopping – normal things every 20-something-year old does. Although, I’m not sure Loui enjoys clothes shopping much based on his dramatic sighs.”
Loui has been instrumental in Tegan’s sporting success. He accompanies her in a ride share vehicle on the way to training at the SpeedDome in Midland and guides her to her bike before having a much-needed nap beside the track.
Tegan’s passion for cycling has already taken her to the 2025 Oceania Games, where she won gold in all three events and proudly represented Australia in the green and gold.
Yet despite her success, Tegan still faces challenges due to a lack of public understanding about accessibility rights. This International Guide Dog Day, we’d like to remind the Curtin community that Guide Dogs have an access-all-areas pass and to be mindful of these rights on campus.
“We all have a right to feel safe and included, and by ensuring the accessibility rights of Guide Dogs, we can also ensure that Guide Dog handlers feel as included as everyone else.”
For more information about Guide Dog access rights in WA, visit the Guide Dogs WA website.
This article was written by Guide Dogs WA.
