Russell Davies lives for the next massive waterfall, the next epic dirt jump, the next summited climb.
The next rush of adrenaline.
“When you’re on the river or in the backcountry on trails or on a wall, you’re not like, ‘I have bills to pay,’ or, ‘I have girlfriend issues,’” Davies said. “All those things are gone. You’re not thinking about anything other than bombing down this new decline or new waterfall.”
Extreme sports — conquering extraordinary feats and pushing yourself to the brink — is therapeutic for Davies and so many other veterans like him.
It’s why he took up kayaking after returning home from the hellish chaos of war. It’s why he continues to push himself toward the next big thing. And it’s why his nonprofit, Professional Transformation Sports Development — with its newly minted 501©(3) status — aims to guide other veterans struggling with PTSD toward a more active and fulfilling lifestyle.
On Veterans Day at Pebble Creek Ski Area, East Fork Bikes and Panda Poles is hosting the premiere of the ski film, “Drop Everything.”
Premiering before that film is a short promotional documentary about Davies’ story, his nonprofit and how it helps veterans. Tickets are available at the door for $10 or at both East Fork Bikes and The Sand Trap in Pocatello for $8. Gates open at 5 p.m., and the event begins at 7 p.m.
Davies hopes the film, which will also be available online following its Saturday showing, inspires veterans stuck trying to acclimate back to everyday life.
“It’s nontraditional medicine,” Davies said. “It allows your brain to process things way better — the things you were holding back. It helps you realize you can achieve anything you put your mind to.”
Davies was born and raised in Pocatello and attended Highland High School. In 2006, with his life at a crossroads, he decided to join the military.
Davies was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, where he was deployed into combat zones in both Iraq and Afghanistan. At one point during a routine patrol, an IED detonated underneath Davies’ vehicle. Davies managed to survive the ordeal, but not without being wounded, and he received the Purple Heart medal.
Davies returned to Pocatello in 2011, and he had a difficult time adjusting to the relative calm of civilian life.
“I think everybody suffers with PTSD in some form,” he said. “The events that we go through as soldiers, especially infantry as frontline fighters, you’re going to encounter some pretty chaotic situations. … I was getting into fights and staying up late, and I quickly realized that was a pretty unhealthy lifestyle. Something needed to change.”
Davies saw a video of kayakers taking on extreme river obstacles and maneuvering down massive waterfalls. He eventually got in contact with an elite kayaking team out of Washington, where he quickly honed his kayaking skills, became sponsored and began getting paid to travel the globe and kayak the world’s most extreme areas.
“I kind of let go and turned the page and moved forward with my life,” he said. “Then one of my good friends I grew up with in Pocatello — we joined the military together and he got out — he unfortunately took his own life. And that kind of made me take a step back and say, ‘What’s going on?’”
Davies began to think about the positive impact kayaking and other sports such as skiing, rock climbing and mountain biking were having on his well-being. That’s when he began raising awareness about how his new, adventurous lifestyle was benefiting him, and he began encouraging other veterans to do the same.
Eventually, that goal to raise awareness turned into a nonprofit.
“Through outdoor sports, there are therapeutic aspects that go beyond anything we can explain for mental clarity and mental health,” Davies said. “This is my way of giving back and helping others find exactly what I found.”
Professional Transformation Sports Development brings veterans to Pocatello to partake in a two-week instruction course where they ski, snowboard, rock climb, mountain bike and kayak. The veterans are paired up with certified instructors. Everything — from lodging to food to equipment — is paid for. And when the program is finished, the veterans keep their equipment.
“We teach them how to do whatever sport they plan on learning,” Davies said. “Our ultimate goal is to reduce the overwhelming number of suicides in today’s men and women coming out of the military.”
Professional Transformation Sports Development doesn’t just bring veterans to Pocatello. The nonprofit’s website, ptsdveteranathletes.com, serves as a social networking platform where veterans who share the same outdoor passions can connect, plan expeditions and grow with each other. Folks interested in learning more about connecting or planning a trip to Pocatello for a two-week program, Davies said, are encouraged to register via the website. Davies also encourages those who wish to help further Davies’ cause to donate, also via the website.
Launching a kayak over a waterfall, backflipping over a ski jump and tearing down a mountain bike trail has helped Davies find his path. He hopes to extend that same opportunity to his veteran brothers and sisters.
“The heart-pounding adrenaline is part of what I love about it,” Davies said. “A lot of other veterans will relate to that.”
