”I’ll Find a Way or Make One”: Dana Mathewson’s Story of Grit and Greatness

2025-05-20

"I'll Find a Way or Make One": Dana Mathewson's Story of Grit and Greatness Champion wheelchair tennis player Dana Mathewson shares her remarkable journey from diagnosis with transverse myelitis at age 10 to becoming America's most accomplished wheelchair tennis player. With candid humor, Dana discusses her initial reluctance toward adaptive sports and how her mother's persistence led her to the court. Her impressive career includes reaching World No. 7 in singles, World No. 4 in doubles, and becoming...

"I'll Find a Way or Make One": Dana Mathewson's Story of Grit and Greatness

Champion wheelchair tennis player Dana Mathewson shares her remarkable journey from diagnosis with transverse myelitis at age 10 to becoming America's most accomplished wheelchair tennis player. With candid humor, Dana discusses her initial reluctance toward adaptive sports and how her mother's persistence led her to the court. Her impressive career includes reaching World No. 7 in singles, World No. 4 in doubles, and becoming the first American wheelchair tennis player to win a Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.

Dana reveals the competitive spirit and "bulldog mentality" that fueled her success, along with cherished memories from the Paralympic Games. Now navigating retirement—a transition she describes as an athlete's "first death"—Dana is embracing new roles in coaching and philanthropy while discovering her identity beyond competition.

Her guiding philosophy, "I'll find a way or make one," has applications far beyond tennis, offering listeners powerful insights on resilience, problem-solving, and finding your path when life presents unexpected challenges.

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