Culture

Anthony Mahr is not only the host of two shows at Radio Blue Mountains, operating his own massage business on the side, but he manages all of this without vision, guided by his hands.

Thanks to recent upgrades at Radio Blue Mountains 89.1fm, Anthony Mahr is now able to operate the sound desk with his guide dog by his side. He’s overcome challenges and learned the desk by memory and feel.

“I did a show with Harrison Storm performing live in the studio and it was a lot of learning to do; using different buttons on the board including compression and gain that I’d not yet memorised. The rest of the board is marked with braille and sticky dots,” says Anthony.

Anthony originally met co-host Josh after running into his wife Chloe on the streets of Katoomba. On air (2-5pm Wed) they discuss music and stir each other up, Dory and the Devil is the other show talking about community activities, disability, some politics, sharing the things they do and the sevices they use for their disabilities.

Aside from the radio shows, Anthony also runs his own blind massage business with the help of his wife Chloe.

“I like to be able to help people and make them feel good, especially if they have autoimmune diseases and things like that and make their pain just that little bit more manageable, and just help people relax,” he says.

Chloe, who is being massaged during the interview laughingly says “It gives a better quality of life to me as well!”

Anthony says “It’s another method without using drugs, which doctors prescribe quite regularly and you know there’s better ways than always going to the drugs first.”

Chloe says “Its pain relief for me, I have rheumatoid arthritis, so I have a lot of pain. I mean I have to be bed ridden a lot of the time, so any massage really helps relieve some of my pain and it might mean I’d have to take one extra pain medication, so in the long run it’s better for my health, if I can have a massage rather than taking a pill”

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that basically, what it does is - most people have a standard immune system that will fight colds and all that sort of thing. My wife’s autoimmune system has basically flipped itself on its head and is attacking its own body.”

Chloe says “I didn’t get diagnosed for like 8 years and didn’t have any medications, so my condition progressed and deteriorated very quickly and so I’m very grateful for massage.”

Anthony was taught by Mark Trump who works at the Katoomba Aquatic Centre. His mentor, who spent more time with Anthony to show different ways from a vision impaired or blind perspective how he could feel muscles or ways of marking diagrams, even business advice which Anthony has been able to use.

Tune into RBM 89.1fm on Wed 2-5pm for Blast from the Past Back to the Future, Sat 2-4pm for Dory and the Devil @mahrsmassagetherapy