Wheelchair Tennis Champion Dana Mathewson’s Greatest Suggestions

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 high of your sport. 

At all times an athletic child, Mathewson performed quite a lot of sports activities in her youth when she was ready bodied. “I at all times appreciated soccer. I appreciated softball. I attempted tennis a few times at summer time 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 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 remainder unfolded all due to Mathewson’s sheer expertise and drive. 

Dana Mathewson: My situation shut a variety of doorways that I assumed had been my solely doorways resulting in athletic pursuits. However fortunately mother had talked to a variety of totally 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 previous. I simply wasn’t uncovered to so much at the moment, and I feel that’s really the case for lots of People. Our nation is so massive that you simply don’t come into contact with a variety of totally different demographics. 

At first I used to be one of many children who had little 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 need you to be lively. I’m signing you up for each camp attainable.” 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 a number of those who get up and all they want is espresso and an apple. I am not that woman. 

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 means I’ve protein and carbs to get me going. Having that sizzling 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 somewhat woman. 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 crew of coaches down right here in Orlando that I work with. My energy and conditioning crew has particular applications I’ve to do every single day. 

So, for instance, Mondays and Wednesdays are lifting days. So for me, that’s a variety of higher physique, however we do even have me doing stuff simply to maintain no matter muscle groups I’ve in my legs lively. That can contain me utilizing the SkiErg machine, the rower, free weights, bench press, and stuff like that. 

Then Tuesdays and Thursdays are extra conditioning based mostly, 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 feel that in case you go fully one or the opposite, you may 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 feel a variety of ladies fall into the entice of, “Effectively, 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 means it does like burning muscle. 

Mathewson: After coaching, there’s a variety 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 suppose it’s essential to get better mentally. I put aside time to play with my canine, name my buddies, and even simply sit on my sofa and watch TV. I really like the Actual Housewives. It’s good to have issues in your life that carry you pleasure!

A number of years in the past, my mindset was like, “I have to work laborious. I simply have to put my head down and be productive the entire time.” However I feel 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 prior to now few years. Tennis is such mentally based mostly sport, and I did not notice simply how a lot till I acquired to the extra elite degree of taking part in. As a result of at that time, everybody has an excellent forehand. Everybody has an excellent backhand. Everybody has an excellent serve. Perhaps one individual is somewhat bit higher than the opposite. However what actually makes individuals win extra typically 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’ve been doing is constructive self speak once 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 the event you do this, then you definitely’ve already misplaced the match, proper? Since you’re already considering 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 constructive outcomes. The evening earlier than a match, I’ll give myself jobs of issues I wish 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 appear and feel like to realize the targets. 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 such as you get knocked down 5 occasions, then you definitely’ll rise up six since you’re cussed sufficient to maintain making an attempt. 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 match that wins, proper? In order that implies that everyone else has to lose. You play X variety of tournaments a yr. So there’s a variety of dropping that you must get snug with in tennis! 

It’s week in and week out video games, and most occasions you do lose. You would possibly win a couple of,, however finally you are ending up with an L more than likely. Except 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 de facto technical, so sure it may be irritating. It could possibly flip a variety of children away from it. Or possibly children will probably be pissed off as a result of they don’t have a crew they’ll play with, and that may be laborious. 

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 may simply go to the park, meet somebody, and play with them. You don’t want an entire crew to play, like basketball or soccer. 

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

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