Dave Nesbitt, Runner
I have been working for the Canadian Coast Guard for nearly 19 years. In my time with this wonderful organization, I have had the privileged to work in a number of capacities. I spent my first 15 years at sea, where I was given the opportunity to work on all the different platforms we operate. Although all my years I was involved with Search and Rescue, my final 6 years of my sea going career were spent managing Search and Rescue Crews as Boatswain on the CCGS Tanu. During that time, I took great pride in training, mentoring, and developing our new responders.
Eventually due to family commitments I moved to a shore-based position as the Fleet Technical and Safety Training officer, developing a suite of technical and safety based training curriculum, ranging from Marine Crane Operations, to High Angle and Confined Space rescue. Next, I moved into the Environmental Response world of the Canadian Coast Guard where I helped develop and managed a brand-new faction called PERT (Primary Environmental Response Teams). These teams are based on a Forward Operations Base model, located within remote First Nations Communities, employing within the communities, in effort to best utilize the local knowledge, while fostering positive relationships between the Coast Guard and our indigenous partners. Recently I have accepted a promotion to Senior Operations and Training Analyst for a brand-new program called Vessels of Concern, which is mandated with Wrecked Hazardous and Abandoned Vessels along the countries coast.
Beyond my career as a first responder and rescue specialist I am an avid voice for mental health. I have had a long history of managing PTSD within myself, being diagnosed in 1998 after two back-to-back near fatal motorcycle crashes. The unfortunate piece of this was in the 90s mental health professionals were only just beginning to understand PTSD and how to treat it. As such the treatments were not always helpful. Because of this my tenacity and stubbornness kicked in, I spent a number of years reading and educating myself, trying everything I could until I found methods of coping and managing that worked for me. The final piece in my puzzle was in 2018, Coast Guard I became a Trauma Resilience instructor through the Coast Guard.
After my accidents I spent the next 20 plus years combating injuries. At one time I weighed about 260 lbs and was romanticizing a time when I was able to run like the wind so many years ago. Recently I was invited to a very unique race called one track mind pedestrian challenge. We ran the Cowichan valley sports plex for 6 days straight in an attempt to break the Canadian record and more importantly to raise money for the Help Fill A Dream Foundation on Vancouver Island. I managed to run approximately 400 kilometers!
I can say without a shadow of a doubt that not only has running being amazing for my physical health, but even more so my mental health. Being given the honor of running with Wounded Warriors is a dream come true for me, combining so many things I have so much passion for, while linking me up with so many amazing super humans!
