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 the high of her recreation. 

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

Nonetheless, 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 instances), she picked up adaptive sports activities—and this time tennis caught. The remaining unfolded all because of Mathewson’s sheer expertise and drive. 

Dana Mathewson: My situation shut loads of doorways that I believed had been my solely doorways resulting in athletic pursuits. However fortunately mother had talked to loads of completely different individuals once I was within the hospital and came upon 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 rather a lot at the moment, and I feel that is really the case for lots of Individuals. Our nation is so huge that you just don’t come into contact with loads of completely different demographics. 

At first I used to be one of many youngsters who had little 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 attainable.” And tennis was a type of. 

Mathewson: I am an enormous breakfast individual. I can’t begin the day with out breakfast. I do know there’s a number 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 method 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 huge on veggies. I’ve by no means been an enormous meat eater, ever since I used to be just a little woman. So should 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 desirous to eat meat due to moral causes, I simply have not actually loved it. 

Mathewson: I’ve a complete crew of coaches down right here in Orlando that I work with. My power and conditioning crew 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 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 court docket 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 feel that should you go utterly one or the opposite, you’ll be able to 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 feel loads 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, but it surely doesn”t really 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 assume it is necessary to recuperate mentally. I put aside time to play with my canine, name my associates, 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 carry you pleasure!

Just a few years in the past, my mindset was like, “I must work arduous. I simply must put my head down and be productive all the time.” However I feel it is really productive to be lazy typically. 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 understand simply how a lot till I obtained to the extra elite degree of taking part in. As a result of at that time, everybody has a great forehand. Everybody has a great backhand. Everybody has a great serve. Possibly one individual is just a little bit higher than the opposite. However what actually makes individuals 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 have been doing is optimistic self-talk 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. If you happen to do this, you then’ve already misplaced the match, proper? Since you’re already pondering like, Properly, she hits tremendous huge or she’s actually quick. She’s going to get all the pieces. 

I’ve needed to be taught to visualise optimistic 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 feel and appear like to realize the objectives. I do it many times 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, you then’ll stand up six since you’re cussed sufficient to maintain attempting. However I feel that that will also 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 signifies that everyone else has to lose. You play X variety of tournaments a 12 months. So there’s loads of shedding that it’s a must to get snug with in tennis! 

It is week-in and week-out video games, and most instances you do lose. You would possibly win just a few, however in the end you are ending up with an L most probably. 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 de facto technical, so, sure, it may be irritating. It may flip loads of youngsters away from it. Or perhaps youngsters will probably be annoyed as a result of they do not have a crew they’ll play with, and that may be arduous. 

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 possibly can simply go to the park, meet somebody, and play with them. You do not want a complete crew to play, like basketball or soccer. 

However except for that, I would say to only keep it up and belief the method. As a result of it is not 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 youngsters. Like perhaps you will have a match on a weekend once you wish to go to a sleepover. Or perhaps you will be getting annoyed that one observe did not go effectively, or different individuals are taking part in higher than me.