Wheelchair Tennis Champion Dana Mathewson’s Finest Suggestions

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 sport. 

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

Nevertheless, after creating a uncommon autoimmune dysfunction known 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 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 believed have been my solely doorways resulting in athletic pursuits. However fortunately mother had talked to a variety of completely different folks once 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 previous. I simply wasn’t uncovered to rather a lot at the moment, and I feel that’s truly the case for lots of People. Our nation is so large that you just don’t come into contact with a variety of completely different demographics. 

At first I used to be one of many children who had no real 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 doable.” And tennis was a kind of. 

Mathewson: I am a giant breakfast particular person. I can’t 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 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 method I’ve protein and carbs to get me going. Having that sizzling meal simply helps me really feel prepared.

Except for that, I feel that I am very large on veggies. I’ve by no means been a giant meat eater ever since I used to be somewhat woman. So in the event 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 desirous 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 applications I’ve to do day-after-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 muscular tissues I’ve in my legs energetic. 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 primarily based, so we’ll have courtroom 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 power. I feel that in the event you go fully one or the opposite, you may burn your physique out—otherwise you’re not offering your muscular tissues the train that they want.

After I was in school I used to be simply very obsessive about the thought of being skinny and being toned. I feel a variety of women 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 truly burn energy the identical method 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 necessary to recuperate mentally. I put aside time to play with my canine, name my mates, 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 must work onerous. I simply must put my head down and be productive all the time.” However I feel it’s truly productive to be lazy typically. 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 primarily based sport, and I did not understand simply how a lot till I received 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 particular person is somewhat bit higher than the opposite. However what actually makes folks 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 variety of what I’ve been doing is optimistic self speak once 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. If you happen to do this, then you definately’ve already misplaced the match, proper? Since you’re already pondering like, Nicely, she hits tremendous large or she’s actually quick. She’s going to get all the pieces. 

I’ve needed to study to visualise optimistic 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 purpose 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 will appear and feel like to attain the objectives. I do it repeatedly and once more. 

Mathewson: I feel 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 stand up six since you’re cussed sufficient to maintain making an attempt. However I feel that that will also be a realized 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 signifies 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 comfy with in tennis! 

It’s week in and week out video games, and most occasions you do lose. You would possibly win just a few,, however finally you are ending up with an L probably. 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 basically technical, so sure it may be irritating. It will probably flip a variety of children away from it. Or possibly children might be pissed off as a result of they don’t have a staff they will play with, and that may be onerous. 

However tennis is likely 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 possibly can simply go to the park, meet somebody, and play with them. You don’t want an entire staff 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 all the time simple. 

There’s sacrifices that must be given to a sport that folks don’t all the time take into consideration once they’re children. Like possibly you’ll have a match on a weekend once you need to go to a sleepover. Or possibly you’ll be getting pissed off that one follow did not go effectively, or different individuals are enjoying higher than me.