Heywire: Bikes, cameras and cystic fibrosis

WOMAN

Heywire — regional youth telling it like it is.

MAN

Michael McMahon. Warrnambool, Victoria.

MICHAEL McMAHON

Hi. I'm Michael McMahon. I'm from Warrnambool, and I'd like to share my photography with you. My story began in '94 at the Warrnambool base hospital. I was born a very unhealthy little boy, constantly throwing up on mum and anything else that I possibly could. This continued until I was flown to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. They discovered I had a perforated bowel and a genetic condition called Cystic Fibrosis, or more commonly known as 'CF'. With this, Mum was told I would need many physio sessions daily and would forever be on tablets called 'Creon'. One of the many downsides to CF is the shortened life expectancy. With this in mind I've always tried to make the most of everything I do and always try new things. Mum has never failed to help me out and has always provided great opportunities for me. This is part of the reason why I'm not like most other CF kids, who simply don't have enough strength to get out of bed each day. And unlike most other CF kids I also don't need the daily physio, regular check-ups and admissions to the wards. This is also thanks to my passion for bikes and the continual support from my family and friends. Well, maybe not grandma, as she fears the worst every time I step foot on the pedals. My passion for bikes all started when I was about four years old. My cousin took me to the local BMX track for a day on the bike. Ever since, I've been hooked. I raced BMX for a good seven or eight years, achieving my personal best of 6th in Victoria. I later then started riding 26" bikes, doing more freestyle-type riding. I still ride my bike religiously to this day. Bikes have taken me around the State of Victoria, and, thankfully enough, with the help of the Make a Wish Foundation, to the slopes of Canada. We all know everybody has their one thing that gets them away from their everyday hassles and struggles. The combination of bicycles and photography does just that for me. Only recently have I gotten into photography and thought about the possibilities it could bring. I'm currently studying it in VCE at school, and it's always been awesome to explore what can be captured through the lens of a camera. Apart from taking photos of bikes, I also love taking photos of wildlife and landscapes. I wouldn't be able to do this if I didn't live in a town like Warrnambool. In saying this, it's great living here. The atmosphere is pretty relaxed, mostly people are friendly, and in my opinion it's good being three hours away from the city. To put it plain and simple, I couldn't handle a big city like Melbourne — too much concrete and not enough dirt and grass! Later in life I hope to take photography to the next level, and in my wildest dreams move to Canada and make a living off taking photos of action sports and the outdoors.