Wheelchair Tennis Champion Dana Mathewson’s Finest Suggestions

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 prime of your recreation. 

At all times an athletic child, Mathewson performed a wide range of sports activities in her youth when she was ready bodied. “I all the time appreciated soccer. I appreciated softball. I attempted tennis a couple of times at summer time camp, however was not likely into it,” she tells me over a latest video name.

Nevertheless, after creating a uncommon autoimmune dysfunction known as Transverse myelitis (TM), she grew to become 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 because of 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 totally 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At that stage of life, I had by no means seen anybody with a incapacity that wasn’t 90 years outdated.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 a variety of totally different demographics. 

At first I used to be one of many youngsters 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 would like you to be lively. 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 not 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 am going to 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.

Except for that, I believe that I am very huge on veggies. I’ve by no means been a giant meat eater ever since I used to be just a little lady. So if you happen to 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 a complete group of coaches down right here in Orlando that I work with. My energy and conditioning group has particular applications I’ve to do on daily basis. 

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 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 energy. I believe that if you happen to 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.

After I was in faculty I used to be simply very obsessive about the concept of being skinny and being toned. I believe 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, but it surely doesn’t really burn energy the identical approach 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 assume it’s 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’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 exhausting. I simply must put my head down and be productive all the time.” However I believe it’s really 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 notice simply how a lot till I acquired to the extra elite degree of enjoying. As a result of at that time, everybody has a great forehand. Everybody has a great backhand. Everybody has a great serve. Perhaps 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.

A whole lot of what I’ve been doing is constructive self discuss once I’m enjoying 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. If you happen to try 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 every part. 

I’ve needed to be taught 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 objective 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 targets. 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 stand up six since you’re cussed sufficient to maintain making an attempt. However I believe that that may 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 implies that everyone else has to lose. You play X variety of tournaments a yr. So there’s a variety of dropping that it’s a must to get comfy with in tennis! 

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

Mathewson: Tennis is admittedly technical, so sure it may be irritating. It may flip a variety of youngsters away from it. Or perhaps youngsters shall be pissed off as a result of they don’t have a group they will play with, and that may be exhausting. 

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

However apart from that, I’d say to only keep it up and belief the method. As a result of it’s not all the time straightforward. 

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