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 recreation. 

All the time 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 few 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 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 remaining 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 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At that stage of life, I had by no means seen anybody with a incapacity that wasn’t 90 years outdated. I simply wasn’t uncovered to loads at the moment, and I believe that is truly the case for lots of Individuals. Our nation is so large that you just don’t come into contact with a variety of totally different demographics. 

At first I used to be one of many youngsters 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 type of. 

Mathewson: I am an enormous breakfast individual. 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 will 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 believe that I am very large on veggies. I’ve by no means been an enormous meat eater, ever since I used to be somewhat lady. So should you had 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 group of coaches down right here in Orlando that I work with. My power and conditioning group 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 muscular tissues 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-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 utterly one or the opposite, you possibly can burn your physique out—otherwise you’re not offering your muscular tissues the train that they want.

After I was in faculty, I used to be simply very obsessive about the thought of being skinny and being toned. I believe a variety of ladies fall into the lure of, «Nicely, 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 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 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 carry you pleasure!

A number of 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 believe it is truly 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 primarily based sport, and I did not understand simply how a lot till I acquired 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 individual is somewhat bit higher than the opposite. However what actually makes individuals 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.

A variety 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 try this, you then’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 every little thing. 

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 need 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 appear and feel like to attain the targets. I do it repeatedly and once more. 

Mathewson: I believe 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 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 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 a variety of shedding that it’s a must to get comfy with in tennis! 

It is week-in and week-out video games, and most instances you do lose. You would possibly win a couple of, however in the end you are ending up with an L most probably. Until 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 actually technical, so, sure, it may be irritating. It may possibly flip a variety of youngsters away from it. Or perhaps youngsters shall be annoyed as a result of they do not have a group they will play with, and that may be arduous. 

However tennis is among the coolest sports activities in that it lets you decide 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 do not want an entire group to play, like basketball or soccer. 

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

There’s sacrifices that must be given to a sport that folks do not all the time take into consideration after they’re youngsters. Like perhaps you may have a match on a weekend once you need to go to a sleepover. Or perhaps you may be getting annoyed that one observe did not go properly, or different persons are enjoying higher than me.