My Life with Madison McElhone: Meet the 16-year-old pigeon racer with 700 birds

The teenage pigeon racer shares her bond with her birds, the worries of race day and her hopes of encouraging more girls into the sport

16-year-old pigeon fancier, Madison McElhone with her favourite bird Miss Maddie.

It would be great to see more girls my age involved in pigeon racing, but at 16-years-old I continue to be one of very few.

Before I fell in love with the sport I had been spending a lot of time on my phone. It was starting to impact my eyesight and I ended up needing glasses. These days I am on my phone a lot less because all my time is spent with the birds. I have more of a connection with them and it’s been a lot better for my education.