Wheelchair Tennis Champion Dana Mathewson’s Greatest 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 the prime of her sport. 

At all times an athletic child, Mathewson performed quite a lot of sports activities in her youth when she was able-bodied. “I at all times favored soccer. I favored 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.

Nevertheless, after creating a uncommon autoimmune dysfunction known 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 instances), 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 after 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At that stage of life, I had by no means seen anybody with a incapacity that wasn’t 90 years outdated.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 quite a bit at the moment, and I feel that is truly the case for lots of Individuals. Our nation is so large 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 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 an enormous breakfast particular person. I can not begin the day with out breakfast. I do know there’s plenty of folks that 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 approach 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 large on veggies. I’ve by no means been an enormous meat eater, ever since I used to be a little bit woman. So in the event 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 day by day. 

So, for instance, Mondays and Wednesdays are lifting days. So for me, that is 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 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 courtroom 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 energy. I feel that in the event you 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 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 lure of, “Properly, 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, nevertheless it doesn”t truly 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 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 necessary 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 is 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 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 obtained to the extra elite stage of taking part in. As a result of at that time, everybody has a superb forehand. Everybody has a superb backhand. Everybody has a superb serve. Perhaps one particular person is a little bit 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 have been doing is constructive self-talk after I’m taking part in 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, then you definately’ve already misplaced the match, proper? Since you’re already pondering like, Properly, she hits tremendous large or she’s actually quick. She’s going to get the whole lot. 

I’ve needed to study to visualise constructive outcomes. The evening earlier than a match, I’ll give myself jobs or issues I wish to do as a result of I am very goal-oriented. What I imply by that’s I am going to give myself assignments for myself for a match. I am going to write them down on a notecard, then attempt to visualize what it will appear and feel like to attain the objectives. I do it time and again 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, then you definately’ll rise up six since you’re cussed sufficient to maintain making an attempt. However I feel 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 signifies that everyone else has to lose. You play X variety of tournaments a 12 months. So there’s a variety of dropping that you need to get snug with in tennis! 

It is week-in and week-out video games, and most instances you do lose. You may win a number 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 to reframe losses. 

Mathewson: Tennis is basically technical, so, sure, it may be irritating. It could possibly flip a variety of children away from it. Or perhaps children might be pissed off as a result of they do not have a crew they will play with, and that may be exhausting. 

However tennis is without doubt one of the coolest sports activities in that it means that you can choose 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 crew to play, like basketball or soccer. 

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

There’s sacrifices that should be given to a sport that folks do not at all times take into consideration after they’re children. Like perhaps you will have a match on a weekend while you wish to go to a sleepover. Or perhaps you will be getting pissed off that one apply did not go nicely, or different persons are taking part in higher than me.