Dominic Anthony had always been mesmerised by magic. He was just a child when a street performer stopped him dead in his tracks, watching on in fascination as the stranger made dollar bills float around him.
It took just a few captivating moments to spark a lifelong passion. Dominic begged his family for a magic set and perfected every trick within a week – and the rest, as they say, is history.
“I was in Florida at the time and there was a guy making money fly around,” Dominic, 25, told the Manchester Evening News. “He didn’t come across as a magician; he was just a normal guy.
“It made it even better to watch. From that moment on, I said, ‘I need to learn how to do that’. I started practicing and practicing.
“I could never sit still and I never wanted to be in school, it wasn’t for me. I used it as a fidget tool, something I could do to pass the time.
“From there, I took off fairly quickly. It was an eye-opener for me. I was like, ‘I can do this’.”
Dominic, from Worsley, spent years doing tricks for family and friends before deciding to take his hobby seriously.
Once he left college at 18, he began performing professionally at corporate and private events. Incredibly, he got to show off his skills in front of the Class of '92 legends at the launch of Hotel Football in 2015.
Dominic – who has been dubbed Salford’s answer to street magic star Dynamo – was invited to the event after bosses read about the rising star in the Manchester Evening News.
During the performance, he managed to make Ryan Giggs' face disappear from a playing card, which he performed in front of ex-teammate and business partner Gary Neville.
“They were all blown away by it all,” he continued. “That led to a domino effect – I was doing more private corporate events for celebrities and building a name for myself in the entertainment industry.”
Dominic performs at regular charity events and the sports and coaching student has also gained a following on Instagram after posting photos and video of his tricks online.
In 2015, he also became the UK’s Next Up & Coming Street Magician judged by ITV’s Tricked star Ben Hamlin.
The competition saw magicians across the United Kingdom perform one trick on camera which was judged by some of the best in the business.
Dominic scooped the under-18s title in the competition with his trick of appearing to re-fill an already empty can of coke, allowing him to visit London and work with some of the greatest minds in magic.
But he’s set to take a break from performing later this year when he takes on a mammoth 130-mile ultra-marathon on April 2.
Dominic will run five marathons in one day in a continuous trek from the Worsley Park Marriot Hotel and Country Club to Abersoch in Wales – all without stopping.
All money raised will be donate to The Christie, a charity close to Dominic’s heart. “We’re hoping to complete it within 35 hours,” he added.
“I’ve been into physical fitness now for years; when I left college, I was a qualified personal trainer and as I got older and older I’ve pushed my training into competitive training.
“Although this is a very individual challenge, it would be fantastic to be able to inspire and motivate others to get outdoors, get active, challenge themselves and to collectively create awareness for this amazing charity.”
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