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 prime wheelchair tennis gamers within the U.S., 33-year-old Dana Mathewson is aware of what it means to be on prime of your recreation. 

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

Nonetheless, after growing a uncommon autoimmune dysfunction known as Transverse myelitis (TM), she grew to become 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 occasions) she picked up adaptive sports activities—and this time tennis caught. The remaining unfolded all because of Mathewson’s sheer expertise and drive. 

Dana Mathewson: My situation shut lots of doorways that I assumed had been my solely doorways resulting in athletic pursuits. However fortunately mother had talked to lots of totally different folks 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At that stage of life, I had by no means seen anybody with a incapacity that wasn’t 90 years outdated.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 so much at the moment, and I believe that’s really the case for lots of Individuals. Our nation is so huge that you simply don’t come into contact with lots of totally different demographics. 

At first I used to be one of many children who had no real interest in wheelchair sports activities. I assumed 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 attainable.” And tennis was a type of. 

Mathewson: I am an enormous breakfast particular person. I can not begin the day with out breakfast. I do know there’s a number of folks that get up and all they want is espresso and an apple. I am not that woman. 

I 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 manner I’ve protein and carbs to get me going. Having that scorching meal simply helps me really feel prepared.

Except for that, I believe that I am very huge on veggies. I’ve by no means been an enormous meat eater ever since I used to be just a little woman. So for those who had been to supply me a steak, I would not actually need 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 workforce of coaches down right here in Orlando that I work with. My energy and conditioning workforce has particular packages I’ve to do every single day. 

So, for instance, Mondays and Wednesdays are lifting days. So for me, that’s lots of higher physique, however we do even have me doing stuff simply to maintain no matter muscle groups 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 primarily 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’s brutal. 

There’s good variability between conditioning and energy. I believe that for those who go utterly one or the opposite, you’ll be able to burn your physique out—otherwise you’re not offering your muscle groups the train that they want.

Once I was in school I used to be simply very obsessive about the concept of being skinny and being toned. I believe lots of ladies fall into the lure of, “Nicely, I’m simply going to be on the elliptical for half-hour or I’m going to be on the bike for an hour.” Yeah, that burns energy, nevertheless it doesn’t really burn energy the identical manner it does like burning muscle. 

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

I additionally assume it’s necessary to get well mentally. I put aside time to play with my canine, name my associates, and even simply sit on my sofa and watch TV. I like the Actual Housewives. It’s good to have issues in your life that deliver you pleasure!

Just a few years in the past, my mindset was like, “I have to work laborious. I simply have to put my head down and be productive all the time.” However I believe it’s really productive to be lazy generally. That’s what refuels you. Benign 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 mentally primarily based sport, and I did not understand simply how a lot till I obtained to the extra elite degree of taking part in. As a result of at that time, everybody has forehand. Everybody has backhand. Everybody has serve. Possibly one particular person is just a little bit higher than the opposite. However what actually makes folks win extra typically is their mindset. 

And I believe 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.

Plenty of what I’ve been doing is constructive self speak once I’m taking part in 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. In case you do this, then you definately’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 the whole lot. 

I’ve needed to study to visualise constructive outcomes. The night time earlier than a match, I’ll give myself jobs of issues I need to do as a result of I’m very aim oriented. What I imply by that’s I’ll give myself assignments for myself for a match. I’ll write them down on a notecard, then attempt to visualize what it might feel and appear like to realize the objectives. I do it many times and once more. 

Mathewson: I believe you are proper that sure folks have extra of that cussed mindset, which helps you be extra resilient. What I imply by that’s such as you get knocked down 5 occasions, then you definately’ll rise up six since you’re cussed sufficient to maintain making an attempt. However I believe that that will also be a discovered trait too.

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

It’s week in and week out video games, and most occasions you do lose. You may win just a few,, however in the end you are ending up with an L almost definitely. Until you are Serena Williams. By nature of tennis being my job, it teaches you resilience since you learn the way reframe loses. 

Mathewson: Tennis is absolutely technical, so sure it may be irritating. It will possibly flip lots of children away from it. Or possibly children shall be annoyed as a result of they don’t have a workforce they’ll play with, and that may be laborious. 

However tennis is without doubt one of the coolest sports activities in that it permits you to decide 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 don’t want an entire workforce to play, like basketball or soccer. 

However except for that, I’d say to simply keep it up and belief the method. As a result of it’s not at all times simple. 

There’s sacrifices that should be given to a sport that individuals don’t at all times take into consideration after they’re children. Like possibly you’ll have a match on a weekend while you need to go to a sleepover. Or possibly you’ll be getting annoyed that one apply did not go nicely, or different individuals are taking part in higher than me.