In March 2019, Perth skateboarder, filmer and friend to many, Blake Manning, was diagnosed with a form of cancer that attacks the body’s immune system: stage four Hodgkin’s lymphoma. At 28, Blake has been skating for almost 20 years, filming since he was in year nine, and is a dedicated disciple of the mighty VX1000. Now in remission for two years, Blake reflects on his battle with cancer, his trip to France midway through, his contact with the late Tully West, and his life post treatment.
As told to Trent Fahey.
Portrait by Tom Elliott.
One Year Of Misdiagnosed Back Pain
Initially, I thought I twisted something in my lower back. I couldn’t swing my right leg side to side without getting a sharp, pinching pain. Two nights later, I was introduced to back spasms, which lasted a full year until chemotherapy started. This might sound overdramatic, but it’s probably the most uncomfortable, shooting pain I have ever felt in my entire life. For it to become part of my normal day-to-day wasn’t something that ever got easier, especially as the medication eventually stopped alleviating the pain.
Diagnosis
I was ‘diagnosed’ with a lot of things. At first, it was a disc bulge, sciatica, rheumatoid arthritis in my back, sarcoma, low-grade bacterial infection – the list goes on. Nobody truly knew what it was. It seemed
like it was all guesswork depending on their career path. I asked for an MRI just days after the very first spasm, but was declined by two different medical workers. They said it wouldn’t show anything different than the CT scan I had already done. Yet here we are. The MRI was the last option after trying everything, and that was what caught the cancer. I’m still super bitter about that. Always trust your instinct!
Pissing Blood In France
First of all, shout out to Rémi Luciani over in France. He’s one of the most welcoming and gracious dudes I have met. He’s also one of the sickest VX filmers in the world. He helped me out so much on my visit to the beautiful Nice. Halfway through the trip, Rémi and I were filming at a spot in extreme heat and I didn’t drink enough water. As a skater, when you’re battling a trick, you avoid having to stop at all costs, sometimes even for hydration. I did that and paid the price. It lasted for two months. At first, I thought it was something to do with my cancer, but then it just went away. Not worth it – drink water, people.
Blake steps up to a beaut bigspin in Perth. Photo by Jake Rotham.
Coming To Terms
Sitting at the doctors, hearing I have this illness was a numbing experience. I literally sat there and all I could hear was white noise as the doctor talked to me. It felt like I was in a weird movie. The worst thing about it was driving home knowing I had to tell my girlfriend. That was the hardest thing I will ever have to do. I drove home, taking the longest route possible to delay that talk. After that hurdle, I tried to delay the phone call I had to make to my mother.
Inactivity And Loss Of Strength
I spent the first three weeks on the couch, playing games and watching UFC, so naturally, I lost a tremendous amount of weight and muscle in my legs. Walking from the couch to the kitchen felt like I had sprinted five kilometres, all in a few steps. I proceeded to purchase a bike, cycling around the neighbourhood to regain my strength.
Dad’s Heart Attack
I was woken super early in the morning by my mother. She burst into my room after dropping him at the airport, saying he had been rushed to hospital and she would be back as soon as she could. I ended up going with her and telling him he was trying to outdo my cancer [laughs]. We have dark humour in the family. He is fine though, thank goodness.
“Get The Chemo Dose, Go Skateboard”
I would go in for a big chemotherapy injection a few times every three weeks. After the dose, I would go skateboard at a park somewhere. People still don’t believe me to this day [laughs]. No doubt, youth and a positive mindset played a huge part in that happening. Plus, I hate sitting indoors, so anything to get out of the house. Being sick’s no excuse.
Tully West
It was such a beautiful message, and I still have it in my phone. After
I went public with my sickness a few days before starting chemotherapy,
I received an Instagram message from Tully. I had never spoken to Tully before. However, I was keeping up to date with everything he was going through. He introduced himself and told me a bit of what he was diagnosed with. He just said, “Remember all the stuff you’re fighting for. The doctors are amazing, but only you can choose how you feel. Positive thoughts!” Ever since that message, we stayed in contact. We gave each other some support and positivity for upcoming appointments and new rounds of treatment. Tully truly showed his character straight off the bat. I wish I had the chance to meet him in person.
Prognosis
I reached remission really quickly. After the second round, I was already clear, but I did two more rounds for precaution. What is six weeks in the grand scheme of things, you know? The treatment was aggressive, according to my specialist. Some days I felt how brutal it was. I recently moved from three-month to six-month checkups with my specialist, so that’s positive news. That’ll pretty much be my routine until a few years down the track. My health is looking great at present.
Life Post Treatment
Man, it was tough and to be honest, I still struggle with it mentally on occasion. Some days are better than others. Now, I can finally enjoy going to sleep at night without being anxious or have to crawl into the bathroom at 12am to get through the pain, so I don’t wake my girlfriend up [laughs]. I don’t have a different outlook at all, to be honest. It came, I got through it, and now I’m still trying to move on from it completely. The positive thing out of it is that I know what I look like bald with a beard. So that’s sick. I’m currently midway through filming this full-length skate video, which hopefully should drop [soon].
