Wheelchair Tennis Champion Dana Mathewson’s Finest Ideas

As the primary American girl 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 sport. 

All the time an athletic child, Mathewson performed a wide range of sports activities in her youth when she was able-bodied. “I at all times appreciated soccer. I appreciated softball. I attempted tennis a few times at summer season camp however was not likely into it,” she tells me over a latest 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 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 loads of doorways that I believed have been my solely doorways resulting in athletic pursuits. However fortunately mother had talked to loads of totally different individuals after I was within the hospital and discovered 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At that stage of life, I had by no means seen anybody with a incapacity that wasn’t 90 years outdated.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 loads at the moment, and I feel that is truly the case for lots of Individuals. Our nation is so massive that you simply don’t come into contact with loads of totally 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 need you to be energetic. I’m signing you up for each camp potential.” And tennis was a type of. 

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

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.

Other than that, I feel that I am very massive on veggies. I’ve by no means been an enormous meat eater, ever since I used to be a bit lady. So should you have 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 staff of coaches down right here in Orlando that I work with. My power and conditioning staff has particular packages I’ve to do every single day. 

So, for instance, Mondays and Wednesdays are lifting days. So for me, that is loads of higher physique, however we do even have me doing stuff simply to maintain no matter muscle 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 power. I feel that should you go fully one or the opposite, you’ll be able to burn your physique out—otherwise you’re not offering your muscle tissues the train that they want.

After I was in faculty, I used to be simply very obsessive about the thought of being skinny and being toned. I feel loads of women fall into the lure of, “Effectively, 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, however it doesn”t truly burn energy the identical manner it does like burning muscle. 

Mathewson: After coaching, there’s loads 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 like the Actual Housewives. It is good to have issues in your life that carry you pleasure!

Just a few years in the past, my mindset was like, “I have to work exhausting. I simply have to 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 prior to now few years. Tennis is such a mentally based mostly sport, and I did not notice simply how a lot till I bought to the extra elite stage of enjoying. As a result of at that time, everybody has a great forehand. Everybody has a great backhand. Everybody has a great serve. Possibly one individual is a bit 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.

A number of what I have been doing is optimistic self-talk after I’m enjoying or earlier than the match. I have a tendency to offer 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, Effectively, she hits tremendous massive or she’s actually quick. She’s going to get all the pieces. 

I’ve needed to be taught to visualise optimistic outcomes. The evening earlier than a match, I’ll give myself jobs or issues I need 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 appear and feel like to attain the objectives. I do it many times 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 attempting. However I feel that that may also be a realized 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 everyone else has to lose. You play X variety of tournaments a 12 months. So there’s loads of dropping that you must get snug 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 in the end you are ending up with an L almost certainly. Until 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 could actually flip loads of youngsters away from it. Or perhaps youngsters will probably be pissed off as a result of they do not have a staff they will play with, and that may be exhausting. 

However tennis is among the coolest sports activities in that it lets you decide up a racket and play with anybody on any given day. You possibly can 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 would say to only keep it up and belief the method. As a result of it isn’t at all times straightforward. 

There’s sacrifices that must be given to a sport that individuals do not at all times take into consideration once they’re youngsters. Like perhaps you may have a match on a weekend if you need to go to a sleepover. Or perhaps you may be getting pissed off that one observe did not go properly, or different individuals are enjoying higher than me.