Grappling with knee problems, sports injuries and a possible cancerous lump a few years ago, Jordan Davis found himself at the lowest point of his life. Sidelined from the football and lacrosse he'd grown up playing, and worried about his health, "it hit me hard," even as he got on with his work as a motorcycle mechanic, he recalls.
Depressed and angry at the world, "I was lying in the shop working on a guy's quad, covered in grease, dirt and mud, and crying to myself thinking, 'So this is how I go. I'm just going to be a grumpy mechanic at the back of the shop with no friends.'"
Determined to pull himself out of his funk, he started by working out to lose excess weight, but began experiencing knee pain. It eventually led to physiotherapy appointment — and put him on the road to fixing bodies instead of bikes.
Now graduating this week with a bachelor of kinesiology from the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, Davis, 40, has a considerably brighter outlook on life. With further plans to earn a master's degree in physiotherapy and with an all-clear from his cancer scare, the resident of Red Deer, Alta., is excited about being on a path to helping people deal with their aches and pains.
"I like the idea of empowering people, giving them advice and steps to feel better. Once they buy into that, the world is their oyster."
A mechanic for humans
His professional detour began with that visit to a physiotherapist to examine his knee — where he quickly got some relief.
"He got me to lie down and started massaging a spot on my leg, and my knee pain was gone. Talking with him, I wanted to know how he knew what muscle to hit, and he said it was kind of the trade, and that basically, he's just a mechanic for humans."
The idea clicked for Davis, both professionally and personally.
"I find it interesting that the human body isn't far off from a mechanical machine, with different systems. I like knowing how these systems interact and how if they're dysfunctional, you can get them back to being better. So I get to still work with my hands and problem-solve."
He also likes the idea of giving back to people and to the community. "I always felt that when I was depressed, I was taking myself away from society; I wasn't building relationships, and now I find I really enjoy meeting people, knowing what their goals are and how to help them achieve those goals."
Transferring into the final two years of his degree program from Red Deer, his studies at the U of A strengthened that desire to work with people, including through a field placement at the Steadward Centre, where he honed his skills in communicating and connecting with different clients.
