Wheelchair Tennis Champion Dana Mathewson’s Greatest Ideas

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

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

Nevertheless, after growing a uncommon autoimmune dysfunction referred to as transverse myelitis (TM), she turned partial paraplegic, “or mainly 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 have been my solely doorways resulting in athletic pursuits. However fortunately mother had talked to plenty of completely different individuals after I was within the hospital and came upon what wheelchair sports activities and adaptive sports activities have 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At that stage of life, I had by no means seen anybody with a incapacity that wasn’t 90 years outdated.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 rather a lot at the moment, and I feel that is truly 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 will be. 

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

Mathewson: I am a giant breakfast individual. I can not begin the day with out breakfast. I do know there’s plenty of people who 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 will sauté mushrooms and spinach and put that in there. That approach I’ve protein and carbs to get me going. Having that sizzling meal simply helps me really feel prepared.

Apart from that, I feel that I am very huge on veggies. I’ve by no means been a giant meat eater, ever since I used to be somewhat lady. So in the event you have 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 a complete workforce of coaches down right here in Orlando that I work with. My energy and conditioning workforce has particular applications I’ve to do on daily basis. 

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 muscle tissue I’ve in my legs lively. 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 the event you go utterly one or the opposite, you possibly can burn your physique out—otherwise you’re not offering your muscle tissue the train that they want.

After I was in faculty, I used to be simply very obsessive about the concept of being skinny and being toned. I feel plenty of women fall into the lure of, “Nicely, I am simply going to be on the elliptical for half-hour or I will be on the bike for an hour.” Yeah, that burns energy, but it surely doesn”t truly 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 assume 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 deliver you pleasure!

A number of years in the past, my mindset was like, “I must work exhausting. I simply must put my head down and be productive the entire time.” However I feel it is truly productive to be lazy generally. 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 previously few years. Tennis is such a mentally primarily based sport, and I did not notice simply how a lot till I bought to the extra elite degree of taking part in. As a result of at that time, everybody has a superb forehand. Everybody has a superb backhand. Everybody has a superb serve. Perhaps one individual is somewhat 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.

Numerous what I have been doing is optimistic self-talk after I’m taking part in or earlier than the match. I have a tendency to provide an excessive amount of credit score to my opponents earlier than a match even begins. In case you do this, you then’ve already misplaced the match, proper? Since you’re already pondering like, Nicely, she hits tremendous huge or she’s actually quick. She’s going to get every little thing. 

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 will give myself assignments for myself for a match. I will write them down on a notecard, then attempt to visualize what it will feel and appear 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, you then’ll stand up six since you’re cussed sufficient to maintain making an attempt. However I feel that that will also be a discovered trait too.

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

It is week-in and week-out video games, and most instances you do lose. You may win a couple of, however finally you are ending up with an L most definitely. Except you are Serena Williams. By nature of tennis being my job, it teaches you resilience since you learn to reframe losses. 

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

However tennis is without doubt one of the coolest sports activities in that it means that you can choose up a racket and play with anybody on any given day. You may simply go to the park, meet somebody, and play with them. You do not want a complete workforce to play, like basketball or soccer. 

However other than that, I would say to simply keep it up and belief the method. As a result of it is not at all times simple. 

There’s sacrifices that need to be given to a sport that folks do not at all times take into consideration after they’re youngsters. Like perhaps you may have a match on a weekend once you wish to go to a sleepover. Or perhaps you may be getting annoyed that one observe did not go properly, or different persons are taking part in higher than me.