Wheelchair Tennis Champion Dana Mathewson’s Finest Ideas

As the primary American lady to win a Grand Slam Main title in wheelchair tennis and one of many high wheelchair tennis gamers within the U.S., 33-year-old Dana Mathewson is aware of what it means to be on the high of her recreation. 

At all times an athletic child, Mathewson performed a wide range of sports activities in her youth when she was able-bodied. “I all the time favored soccer. I favored softball. I attempted tennis a few times at summer season camp however was probably not into it,” she tells me over a latest video name.

Nevertheless, after creating a uncommon autoimmune dysfunction referred to as transverse myelitis (TM), she turned partial paraplegic, “or principally somebody that should use a wheelchair to run or to get round,” she says. 

After encouragement from her mother (which she says was, maybe, insistent at instances), she picked up adaptive sports activities—and this time tennis caught. The remainder unfolded all because of Mathewson’s sheer expertise and drive. 

Dana Mathewson: My situation shut plenty of doorways that I believed had been my solely doorways resulting in athletic pursuits. However fortunately mother had talked to plenty of completely different individuals once I was within the hospital and discovered what wheelchair sports activities and adaptive sports activities had been. 

At that stage of life, I had by no means seen anybody with a incapacity that wasn’t 90 years outdated. I simply wasn’t uncovered to loads at the moment, and I feel that is really the case for lots of Individuals. Our nation is so huge that you simply don’t come into contact with plenty of completely different demographics. 

At first I used to be one of many youngsters who had little interest in wheelchair sports activities. I believed it sounded actually boring. I could not conceptualize what it might be. 

However my mother was like, “Nope! I would like you to be energetic. I’m signing you up for each camp potential.” And tennis was a kind of. 

Mathewson: I am an enormous breakfast individual. I can not begin the day with out breakfast. I do know there’s numerous those that get up and all they want is espresso and an apple. I am not that lady. 

I really like waking up and having scrambled egg whites or an egg white omelet with toast. If I am actually within the temper, I am going to sauté mushrooms and spinach and put that in there. That approach I’ve protein and carbs to get me going. Having that scorching meal simply helps me really feel prepared.

Except for that, I feel that I am very huge on veggies. I’ve by no means been an enormous meat eater, ever since I used to be slightly lady. So in case you had been to supply me a steak, I would not actually wish to eat it. However I haven’t got the vegetarian mindset of not eager to eat meat due to moral causes, I simply have not actually loved it. 

Mathewson: I’ve an entire staff of coaches down right here in Orlando that I work with. My energy and conditioning staff has particular packages I’ve to do daily. 

So, for instance, Mondays and Wednesdays are lifting days. So for me, that is plenty of higher physique, however we do even have me doing stuff simply to maintain no matter muscular tissues I’ve in my legs energetic. That may contain me utilizing the SkiErg machine, the rower, free weights, bench press, and stuff like that. 

Then Tuesdays and Thursdays are extra conditioning-based, so we’ll have court docket conditioning drills. 

Friday is a circuit the place I mix pulling a sled, rowing, lifting, and battle ropes. It is brutal. 

There’s good variability between conditioning and energy. I feel that in case you go fully one or the opposite, you possibly can burn your physique out—otherwise you’re not offering your muscular tissues the train that they want.

Once I was in faculty, I used to be simply very obsessive about the thought of being skinny and being toned. I feel plenty of ladies fall into the entice of, “Effectively, I am simply going to be on the elliptical for half-hour or I’ll be on the bike for an hour.” Yeah, that burns energy, nevertheless it doesn”t really burn energy the identical approach it does like burning muscle. 

Mathewson: After coaching, there’s plenty of stretching that we do. That was one thing that I’ve to confess I did not do for the majority of my profession, and I used to be simply fortunate I did not have accidents. However now that I am getting older, I actually see the significance of stretching and cool-downs after a exercise. 

I additionally suppose it is essential to get better mentally. I put aside time to play with my canine, name my pals, and even simply sit on my sofa and watch TV. I really like the Actual Housewives. It is good to have issues in your life that convey you pleasure!

A couple of years in the past, my mindset was like, “I have to work exhausting. I simply have to put my head down and be productive all the time.” However I feel it is really productive to be lazy typically. That is what refuels you. Being a sofa potato, being a sloth, being on my own for a bit is what recharges my batteries. 

Mathewson: That is been one thing I’ve actually needed to work on up to now few years. Tennis is such a mentally primarily based sport, and I did not notice simply how a lot till I obtained to the extra elite stage of enjoying. As a result of at that time, everybody has an excellent forehand. Everybody has an excellent backhand. Everybody has an excellent serve. Possibly one individual is slightly bit higher than the opposite. However what actually makes individuals win extra usually is their mindset. 

And I feel as an early tennis skilled, I heard that however did not actually embrace it or did not actually perceive it, however I very a lot do now.

Quite a lot of what I have been doing is optimistic self-talk once I’m enjoying or earlier than the match. I have a tendency to present an excessive amount of credit score to my opponents earlier than a match even begins. For those who try this, then you definitely’ve already misplaced the match, proper? Since you’re already pondering like, Effectively, she hits tremendous huge or she’s actually quick. She’s going to get the whole lot. 

I’ve needed to study to visualise optimistic outcomes. The evening earlier than a match, I’ll give myself jobs or issues I wish to do as a result of I am very goal-oriented. What I imply by that’s I am going to give myself assignments for myself for a match. I am going to write them down on a notecard, then attempt to visualize what it might appear and feel like to realize the objectives. I do it repeatedly and once more. 

Mathewson: I feel you are proper that sure individuals have extra of that cussed mindset, which helps you be extra resilient. What I imply by that’s, like, you get knocked down 5 instances, then you definitely’ll rise up six since you’re cussed sufficient to maintain attempting. However I feel that that can be a discovered trait too.

With tennis being my private instance, there’s just one individual each week in a event that wins, proper? In order that signifies that everyone else has to lose. You play X variety of tournaments a yr. So there’s plenty of dropping that you must get comfy with in tennis! 

It is week-in and week-out video games, and most instances you do lose. You would possibly win a number of, however finally you are ending up with an L most probably. Until you are Serena Williams. By nature of tennis being my job, it teaches you resilience since you discover ways to reframe losses. 

Mathewson: Tennis is actually technical, so, sure, it may be irritating. It might flip plenty of youngsters away from it. Or perhaps youngsters will probably be annoyed as a result of they do not have a staff they’ll play with, and that may be exhausting. 

However tennis is without doubt one of the coolest sports activities in that it permits you to choose up a racket and play with anybody on any given day. You’ll be able to simply go to the park, meet somebody, and play with them. You do not want an entire staff to play, like basketball or soccer. 

However apart from that, I might say to only keep it up and belief the method. As a result of it isn’t all the time straightforward. 

There’s sacrifices that need to be given to a sport that folks do not all the time take into consideration once they’re youngsters. Like perhaps you may have a event on a weekend if you wish to go to a sleepover. Or perhaps you may be getting annoyed that one observe did not go effectively, or different individuals are enjoying higher than me.