Racquetball player has survival tale
Maestas overcomes serious affliction
Dominic Maestas’ yearlong journey back to playing racquetball, after an illness that threatened his life, could have been discouraging.
It was not, he says, because there were far greater concerns: “I didn’t think I was even going to walk again.”
Tuesday at Balloon Fiesta Park, Maestas and arm-wrestler Tyler Hernandez were honored as the New Mexico Games’ 2016 male and female Athletes of the Year. Together, they lit the cauldron at the 2017 opening ceremonies for the 28th annual games.
Just after Thanksgiving in 2013, Maestas said, he began to lose his appetite. He then went skiing with his brother, Raymond, and during the trip began to vomit.
“I thought I had the stomach flu,” he said. But because of a dangerously high blood-sugar level, doctors began treating him for diabetes.
Maestas then came down with double pneumonia and a staph infection. A blood clot formed, and he eventually fell into a coma.
His illness eventually was diagnosed as pancreatitis. The cause, he said, was never determined.
Maestas recovered, but the process was arduous.
“I came out of the hospital, and I literally had to learn to walk again,” he said.
As for racquetball, a year passed before he got back onto a court.
“I had myopathy (a muscle weakness) in my hand,” he said. At first, a friend or family member would drop a ball in front of him, and “I’d try to hit it.”
Eventually, rehabilitation and determination got him back into competitive racquetball. He and Raymond are a national-class doubles team.
For Maestas, the New Mexico Games racquetball competition — scheduled this year for June 22-25 at Midtown Sports and Wellness — is an annual event.
“I’ve been playing in the New Mexico Games for about 25 years,” he said. “It’s always the highlight of my summer.”
The New Mexico Games have been a highlight for Hernandez, as well, though she missed this year’s armwrestling competition — which took place last weekend — because of the 21-year-old Rio Ranchoan’s duties with the Army National Guard.
In 2016, she won both the left- and right-hand open N.M. Games competition. She has won a record seven straight state championships, has won national titles and has competed on the world stage.
Hernandez started armwrestling at age 13, following her father, Steve, into the sport. Tyler’s younger sister, Jordan, also is a right- and left-hand N.M. Games champion.
Success in armwrestling, Hernandez said, is less about strength than technique.
“I’m not as muscular as most people think you would have to be for armwrestling,” she said. “It’s always nice to be strong as well, but it’s a lot of technique work and obviously lifting to keep your body in shape, and running because I have to make weight.”
The 2017 New Mexico Games already are underway and will continue throughout the summer. For information, go to newmexicogames.org
New UNM men’s basketball coach Paul Weir was a guest speaker at Tuesday’s opening ceremonies.
“Anything that promotes healthy lifestyle, active living for not only our youth but for all our community members, I think it’s a great initiative,” Weir said. “... Sports just bring so many people together and teach you values like hard work, commitment, unselfishness, teamwork.”
By NCAA rule, Weir is not allowed to attend the N.M. Games basketball competition, scheduled for May 26-29. But he said he hoped to get out to see some of the other events.
Registration for basketball continues at newmexicogames.org, executive director Fred Hultberg said, until all 235 team slots are filled. For more information, call Hultberg at 505-263-8513.