Kevin Connolly (photographer)
Encyclopedia
Kevin Michael Connolly is an American
photographer who was born without legs.
He has made a collection of photographs of people's reactions to him as he traveled the world, and published it on the Internet
.
in August, 1985. He was born without legs, as a "'sporadic birth defect,' which is basically the doctors saying they don't know what happened.", he says.
His parents didn't coddle him; as a toddler he wasn't treated any differently than his sisters, Meagan and Shannon, and grew up floating rivers and climbing mountains. His parents enrolled him in gymnastics
, and wrestling
, which gave him the agility and upper body strength to flip himself onto counters and do handstand
s. At the age of 10, he started skiing
, with a custom designed monoski
. He was good enough at skiing to win a silver medal
at the X Games
extreme sports competition.
He travels mostly by propelling himself with his arms on his skateboard
, rarely using his wheelchair
, and not using a pair of prosthetic legs since age 12.
, in Vienna
, Connolly got tired of being stared at, and without looking through the camera's viewfinder, took a series of photos of people staring at him as he wheeled by. He liked the results. With the money from his X Games winnings, he took an 11 week international trip over summer break in 2007, through 15 countries, through New Zealand, Europe, Japan, and back to America. He published the photos on a web site, called "The Rolling Exhibition.com"
Connolly's initial exhibit drew national media attention, garnering stories at CNET, NPR, the Washington Post, and ABC's 20/20. The exposure and interest in Connolly's life lead to a book deal with HarperCollins. Instead of releasing a book simply consisting of his photographs, Connolly's penned a memoir using photos as chapter breaks. The resulting book, Double Take (HarperStudio – Oct 2009), was well received by critics and earned a starred review in Publishers Weekly
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
photographer who was born without legs.
He has made a collection of photographs of people's reactions to him as he traveled the world, and published it on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
.
Early life
Connolly born in Helena, MontanaHelena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
in August, 1985. He was born without legs, as a "'sporadic birth defect,' which is basically the doctors saying they don't know what happened.", he says.
His parents didn't coddle him; as a toddler he wasn't treated any differently than his sisters, Meagan and Shannon, and grew up floating rivers and climbing mountains. His parents enrolled him in gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
, which gave him the agility and upper body strength to flip himself onto counters and do handstand
Handstand
A handstand is the act of supporting the body in a stable, inverted vertical position by balancing on the hands. In a basic handstand the body is held straight with arms and legs fully extended, with hands spaced approximately shoulder-width apart...
s. At the age of 10, he started skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, with a custom designed monoski
Monoski
The term monoski may refer to either of two unrelated pieces of ski equipment. It is the device used in the sport of monoskiing.The monoski, invented in the 1960s and popularized in the 1970s and '80s by monoskiers like Mike Doyle, is similar to a snowboard in that both feet are attached to one...
. He was good enough at skiing to win a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
at the X Games
X Games
The X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island....
extreme sports competition.
He travels mostly by propelling himself with his arms on his skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
, rarely using his wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
, and not using a pair of prosthetic legs since age 12.
Photographic exhibition
One day, on a 2006 solo trip through EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Connolly got tired of being stared at, and without looking through the camera's viewfinder, took a series of photos of people staring at him as he wheeled by. He liked the results. With the money from his X Games winnings, he took an 11 week international trip over summer break in 2007, through 15 countries, through New Zealand, Europe, Japan, and back to America. He published the photos on a web site, called "The Rolling Exhibition.com"
Connolly's initial exhibit drew national media attention, garnering stories at CNET, NPR, the Washington Post, and ABC's 20/20. The exposure and interest in Connolly's life lead to a book deal with HarperCollins. Instead of releasing a book simply consisting of his photographs, Connolly's penned a memoir using photos as chapter breaks. The resulting book, Double Take (HarperStudio – Oct 2009), was well received by critics and earned a starred review in Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
.
External links
- "The Rolling Exhibition" "15 Countries, 31 Cities, 32,000 photos, One stare." Connolly's photo gallery, online.