Watching someone doing the craziest trick shots is inspiring to say the least, especially if one considers the dedication required. For Davide Panzeri, trick shots began as therapy to help focus his attention on the positive aspects of life and soon became his new career.
Life happens
Born in Italy, the Canadian TikTok star has lived in Canada since he was fifteen. Besides wanting to learn English, he says the move was a way of escaping a difficult situation back home, which also involved a lot of bullying.
After attending several high schools in Canada, Panzeri earned a Master’s Degree in International Relations in Geneva, Switzerland. This led to his first job at the United Nations, a job he admits felt completely meaningless.
Not one to sit back and accept a career he was bored with, Davide co-founded the free apprenticeship and education program for students worldwide, Acadium. In his position as head of growth, the pressures were immense and after a while, he buckled.
Everything is possible
Davide Panzeri’s viral shows on TikTok have captured audiences around the world. Everyone knows him as Trickshotdav, and the popular artist has appeared in live shows, television, and for major brands.
Davide has played both competitive tennis and soccer and understands the challenges of having a winning mentality. Throughout his life, Trickshotdav has faced both good and tough times.
“I believe in never giving up,” he says. “I used to have it all, a great company, lovely women, and fast cars. I had a setback, but have fought back with all my strength.”
It was during this tough time of growing his business that Davide became anxious and was prescribed medication. In an attempt to control the symptoms of his anxiety, doctors prescribed various medications, but some affected him adversely. Each change in a prescription brought on worse symptoms, and he suffered akathisia (a type of restless movement disorder). He ended up being rushed to the hospital.
With determination, Davide decided he had had enough. The process of coming off antidepressants isn’t easy, but the trickshot star knew that he could do it, and for the first time in a while, he started to feel like himself again.
“My motto is: Impossible is in our minds. I have always believed this, and my life experiences keep reminding me how true it is.”
Trick shots and the right mindset
Trick shots have become extremely popular because most people realize the hard work that goes into their success. For Davide, it started on a basketball court which offered him the perfect distraction while he was on the road to recovery.
Trying to get the ball into the basket from various positions (backward, blindfolded, and so on) made him realize he was onto something. He used his business skills to grow his TikTok following, currently just short of 2 million and attracted the attention of major brands like Red Bull, Pringles, and Fortnite. Davide was asked to create tasks for Big Brother and has featured on a live TikTok event and SportsCenter in Canada.
Trickshotdav is also popular in the country of his birth, and Davide has appeared on TV there. He was asked by Red Bull to inaugurate a community court in Rome for them.
Originality and quality are what attract viewers to @trickshotdav, and he has no limits to the trick shots he tries or the number of attempts. His battle to perfect the shots and the beautifully edited videos have won his fans over.
“Trick shots are sometimes scoffed at by some people. They say anyone can achieve a goal after enough tries. What they don’t realize is that the results are extremely beneficial,” says Davide. In a recent article, Davide Panzeri described the personal benefits trick shot has offered him. He stressed that luck is involved, but there can be no luck without hard work. That is what has helped him improve his coordination, mindset, and athleticism.
Strong body and strong mind
Mental and physical clarity go together, and this is something Davide Panzeri’s fans have noticed. They say he has developed an eye that allows him to calibrate his shots, and call him “Aim Bot.”
For Trickshotdav, there is no such thing as failure. His most viral video has 36.9 million views, a video where the ball misses the basket. This just proves that everyone loves to watch trick shots, and the underlying message is that nobody must ever give up without a fight.
Story by Giuliana Speranza
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