313. In Pursuit Of Passion: U.S. Top-Ranked Wheelchair Tennis Player Dana Mathewson On Finding Herself Through Sport & Setting An Example
Hurdle with Emily Abbate
iHeartPodcasts
4.9 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 26 August 2024
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Meet Dana Mathewson: One of the most prominent wheelchair tennis players in U.S. history. Currently ranked No. 1 in the United States, Dana is the first American woman to win a grand slam title in wheelchair tennis and is gearing up for this year’s Paralympic Games which start on August 28th. Dana shares her remarkable story when she was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition at the age of 9, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. When her mom introduced her to wheelchair tennis at the age of 13, Dana quickly fell in love with the sport and never looked back.
We talk about how tennis became a quick passion for her as a way to reclaim her independence, her opportunity to attend the University of Arizona on an athletic scholarship, and why she chose to put her academics on hold to chase her Paralympic dream. Dana shares valuable advice around the mental side of training for performance, and sheds light on how she puts her mental skills training into practice on a daily basis, both on and off the court.
IN THIS EPISODE
What brought Dana to wheelchair tennis and the emotions around those early playing years (3:50)
Self confidence and Dana’s mindset around continually showing up for yourself (12:10)
How Dana’s passion with tennis came to be and a conversation on independence (14:15)
A peak into Dana’s training as a professional wheelchair athlete (22:50)
The excitement around her third paralympic games (26:30)
Dana’s first professional season and how it grew her love for the game (31:45)
Accepting the ‘what is’ and the mental side of training for performance (36:05)
Mental skills training in practice (42:40)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I'm just really excited about what sport is like, how it's evolved, and that I get to kind of be writing different chapters and help other people right there. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. Emily Abadi here. You are |
| 0:27.2 | listening to episode 313 of Hurtle. A wellness focused podcast where I talk to inspirational people |
| 0:35.2 | about everything from their highest highs and toughest moments to essential |
| 0:39.2 | tips on how to live a healthier, happier, more motivated life. |
| 0:43.9 | We all go through our fair share of hurdles. |
| 0:47.0 | My goal through these discussions is to empower you to better navigate yours and move with intention so that you can stride toward your own |
| 0:54.5 | big potential and of course have some fun along the way. For today's |
| 1:00.7 | episode I am so amped to bring you my conversation with Dana Matheson. |
| 1:05.9 | She stands as one of the most prominent Paralympians and professional wheelchair tennis players in US history period. |
| 1:16.4 | She is the first American women |
| 1:18.8 | to win a grand sam title in wheelchair tennis |
| 1:21.8 | and is currently ranked number one in the United States. |
| 1:27.2 | Like many Paralympians she is excitedly gearing up for this year's games which start this Wednesday, August 28th, and I have my |
| 1:37.2 | fingers crossed that I'm heading back to Paris on September 1st and hoping that I might be able to squeeze in some time to watch her play. |
| 1:47.4 | Dana's story is absolutely remarkable in today's episode she talks to me about how she was |
| 1:51.9 | diagnosed with a rare auto-immune |
| 1:54.1 | condition at the age of 11 which left her paralyzed from the waist down. |
| 1:59.3 | Now it was her mother's persistence and never- ending support that introduced her to wheelchair tennis at age 13 and |
| 2:08.0 | that is when everything changed. |
| 2:11.1 | In our convo today Dana talks to me about how wheelchair tennis became a quick passion for her and |
| 2:16.9 | helped her reclaim independence that she lost when she was paralyzed. We talk about what it was like for her |
| 2:24.0 | to attend the University of Arizona |
... |
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