The 30-year-old enters the Tokyo Paralympic Games as America’s biggest hope for gold in the wheelchair tennis singles event
Sports by nature to many, can be seen as simply a game, mere entertainment at that. To some, it’s a wonderful activity to maintain or improve physical health. To others, it’s the adrenaline rush they gain from competition, the thrill of victory or the potential financial reward that awaits them. Yet, for countless people and athletes with disabilities, having sports present in their lives has proven to be life-altering, game-changing if you will, to the point beyond explanation. Dr Ludwig Guttmann, the founder of the Paralympic Games, once said, “Paraplegia is not the end of the way. It is the beginning of a new life.”
Dana Mathewson, the highest ranked male or female American wheelchair tennis player in the world, embodies that statement to the utmost, as she gears up to represent Team USA in singles and doubles at the Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan this month for the second time in her career. A pro on the ITF/Uniqlo Wheelchair Tennis Tour for over a decade, the American has stood firm as the top-standing woman from the US for the majority of that period. Her status has only heightened, as she currently ranks a career-high No 9 in singles and No 7 in doubles, and has thrived in one of the fastest growing wheelchair sports across the world that is predominantly dominated by international players, where she is currently the only American woman ranked in the top 25 singles rankings.
