Twin Peaks
Leo V.
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The title of my photo is Twin Peaks. This is my best friend Backwards Brian. We ride our bikes together, we love climbing the highest mountains and flying down them. Brian always rides backward, he sits on the handlebars. This photo was taken on the top of twin peaks. It is one of our favorite rides. We defy the odds.
I used to be unable to jog ten feet. Just breathing was a challenge. Each breath was like a seal barking. Mothers pulled their children away in the sandbox, afraid I would get them sick. Today, I am the youngest person to have circled the Bay on a bike in a single day. Brian is training to set the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest bike ride backward.
The night I took this photo we were pedaling hard up twin peaks, it was the first clear night in weeks. The city lights were gorgeous. I felt at peace. Brian's lights fit perfectly both with the city and with my sense of calm. I remembered trying to play tag with my friends in elementary school, but being unable to keep up. Brian always did things differently as well. Now we can ride over a hundred and thirty-five miles in a day. While we ride Brian's music is blasting, he wears three speakers. I feel my heart pounding in my ears.
We ride San Francisco like a roller coaster. Hills are easier than long flats. You can rest your legs on the downhill and use the momentum to help you up the next mountain. On the flats, it’s just you, and your own power. Sometimes our bodies like they are failing. We ride through the darkness. Time slows. Brian pushes me to go faster.
For me, joy is progress, achievement, and conquering. Joy is in overcoming, in the progression of my own life. Joy is when I lift myself, my family, my community, or anyone else up. I love cycling because it has given me my health, my community, and my friends. If cycling is my body, photography has become my language.
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It has helped me gain more confidence in my self, and find ways to express myself. Photography has become a way in which I am able to tell mine and others story's. It has allowed me to slow down and appreciate everything around me, something I and used to struggle with.
