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 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. 

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

Nonetheless, after creating a uncommon autoimmune dysfunction referred to 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 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 completely different folks 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At that stage of life, I had by no means seen anybody with a incapacity that wasn’t 90 years outdated.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 rather a lot at the moment, and I believe that is truly the case for lots of Individuals. Our nation is so huge that you simply don’t come into contact with loads 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 would like you to be energetic. I’m signing you up for each camp attainable.” And tennis was a kind of. 

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

Apart from 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 a bit woman. So should you have 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 a complete workforce of coaches down right here in Orlando that I work with. My power and conditioning workforce has particular packages I’ve to do day by 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 mass 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-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 power. I believe that should you go fully one or the opposite, you possibly can burn your physique out—otherwise you’re not offering your muscle mass the train that they want.

Once I was in faculty, I used to be simply very obsessive about the concept of being skinny and being toned. I believe loads of ladies fall into the entice of, “Effectively, I am simply going to be on the elliptical for half-hour or I’ll be on the bike for an hour.” Yeah, that burns energy, but it surely doesn”t truly burn energy the identical method 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 suppose it is essential 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 is good to have issues in your life that convey you pleasure!

A number of years in the past, my mindset was like, “I have to work onerous. I simply have to put my head down and be productive the entire time.” However I believe 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 up to now few years. Tennis is such a mentally primarily based sport, and I did not understand simply how a lot till I obtained to the extra elite stage of enjoying. As a result of at that time, everybody has forehand. Everybody has backhand. Everybody has serve. Possibly one individual is a bit bit higher than the opposite. However what actually makes folks win extra usually 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.

Lots of what I have been doing is constructive self-talk after I’m enjoying or earlier than the match. I have a tendency to present an excessive amount of credit score to my opponents earlier than a match even begins. In case you do this, then you definitely’ve already misplaced the match, proper? Since you’re already pondering like, Effectively, 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 or issues I wish 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 feel and look like to realize the objectives. I do it time and again 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, like, you get knocked down 5 instances, then you definitely’ll rise up six since you’re cussed sufficient to maintain attempting. However I believe 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 implies that all people else has to lose. You play X variety of tournaments a 12 months. So there’s loads of dropping that it’s important to get comfy with in tennis! 

It is week-in and week-out video games, and most instances you do lose. You may win just a few, however in the end you are ending up with an L most definitely. Except you are Serena Williams. By nature of tennis being my job, it teaches you resilience since you discover ways to reframe losses. 

Mathewson: Tennis is admittedly technical, so, sure, it may be irritating. It could actually flip loads of children away from it. Or possibly children will probably be pissed off as a result of they do not have a workforce they will play with, and that may be onerous. 

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’ll be able to simply go to the park, meet somebody, and play with them. You do not want a complete workforce to play, like basketball or soccer. 

However other than that, I might say to only keep it up and belief the method. As a result of it is not all the time straightforward. 

There’s sacrifices that should be given to a sport that folks do not all the time take into consideration after they’re children. Like possibly you may have a match on a weekend whenever you wish to go to a sleepover. Or possibly you may be getting pissed off that one follow did not go properly, or different persons are enjoying higher than me.