Michael Vizer: Fight Like Mike

Meet Michael Vizer. Mike is a 27 year old professional motocross photographer from Spencer, Ohio. However, shooting photos wasn’t always his day job. Up until 2011 he had been leading a pretty normal “9-5” style life racing on the weekends and working for an Insurance company during the week, but February 27th, 2011 would change it all. On that brisk winter day Mike was involved in a crash at a local indoor race that he was racing which left him paralyzed from the waist down. For many this would be the end of the road, but incredibly one year later he was able to learn how to walk again. His employer however, was forced to let him go due to months of missed work while in the hospital.

“When I was stuck in the hospital my mind was constantly on moto, how could I live life without it?” said Vizer. So what does a person who loves the sport, but can’t physically compete in it anymore do? That’s right: photography. “I am not 100% sure what sparked the idea to get into photography and shoot moto, but I was able to get my first camera (Nikon D5100) while finishing my rehab and had taught myself enough to hit the local tracks”.

The next few years would show nothing but improvement for Vizer. In 2014 he began traveling more and shooting the majority of the arenacross tour, as well as a few larger amateur nationals. Life was good, until a freak seizure would put a halt to his travel and leave him in the hospital yet again. Doctors would find a small cyst on the back of his brain that was causing the pressure and seizures, but were able to avoid surgery and treat the seizures via a medicine regiment.

Fast forward one year later and Mike’s strength and determination were at an all time high. Through all of his setbacks, he was able to shoot an entire season of arenacross and even get the chance to shoot Indy Supercross. The opportunities didn’t stop there either. As the motocross season kicked off, Mike was the key voice in setting up our 2 Stankin series with Gared Steinke. He not only shot the photo content, but he also wrote blogs, got GoPro footage, and did whatever he could to contribute to the project. Mike was on a roll, but tragedy was close in toe yet again.

Following the last round of outdoors Mike was plagued with another seizure which would leave him back in the hospital. Doctors would find out that his cyst had ruptured and were able to treat it without surgery, but the time off-work from his then part-time job would leave him unemployed once again. “Ultimately losing my job again was the best thing that could have happened to me, because it gave me the motivation to take this moto-photo career full time in 2016”. he told me.

Now, this past weekend, Mike’s black cloud has returned with a vengeance. While shooting the past round of arenacross in Birmingham, Alabama, Mike was struck with a baseball sized rock in the head. He told me, “I was shooting a row up in the stands next to the whoop section (from what people have told me) and I was looking down to review a photo on my camera when a rock was thrown up hitting me on the top right side of my head which knocked me out cold for about a minute”. On his trip to the ground he managed to knock out a front tooth, and (more importantly to him) destroy his Nikon D750.

Mike has overcame more adversity than any person I’ve ever met in this industry. Hands down. Hell, the first four rounds of arenacross this year he drove by himself, camped out in Walmarts, and slept in his truck just to go shoot. This is a kid that wants nothing more than to fulfill his dream as a motocross photographer, and will sacrifice anything to get it. However, he’s given all he has to give, and has nothing left to sacrifice. Between hospital bills, and now his only source of income laying in pieces, Mike has nothing. So he needs our help. I know he would never ask for a helping hand even if his life depended on it, which is why we’ve taken the opportunity to do it ourselves. We’ve created a GoFund me account in his name to raise money for Mike to get a new camera, and get back to chasing the dream. He lives for one thing - the feeling of getting the shot. And right now that feeling is on hold. So let’s come together to support a rad person in serious need.

Repost the image above on Instagram with the hashtag #fightlikemike to show your support for Mike and his ability to fight through such strong adversity!