01
The Push Start:
Performing When It Counts
Pressure, preparation and the habits that hold up when the stakes are highest.
Leadership / Sales / Corporate
Davidson "Boka" de Souza · Two-time Olympian · Keynote speaker
THE MOMENT
IS EARNED.
Pressure doesn't build character in a moment. Preparation does. Davidson de Souza brings lessons from elite bobsleigh to the teams, leaders and young people ready to go further.
PERFORMANCE / PURPOSE / PEOPLE
2× OlympianBrazil's best-ever Olympic bobsled finishWorld Cup bronze medallistFounder / DS Elite Performance ↗Co-founder / Kind Monsters
Watch
SEE IT
IN MOTION.
In bobsleigh, a race is won or lost in the first few seconds: one explosive push, built on years of preparation. Davidson brings that same energy into the room, with a story that runs from washing cars at age eight in São Paulo to the Olympic start line.
Audiences don't just hear about resilience. They feel what it takes to get back on the sled.
30–60minute keynote
3formats: keynote, workshop, conversation
Livein person or virtual
01 / The person behind the performance
FOUR SECONDS
TO START.
YEARS TO
GET THERE.
In bobsleigh, every hundredth of a second matters. But the most important work happens long before the start line. Davidson de Souza knows what it takes to prepare, commit and trust the people beside you.
At Milano Cortina 2026, just over a year after a crash that fractured his femur, Davidson helped Brazil's four-man sled finish 19th: the best Olympic bobsleigh result in Brazil's history. With Team Canada, he won World Cup bronze in Whistler in 2022.
Today, he brings that mindset beyond competition: coaching emerging athletes through DS Elite Performance, supporting opportunity through Kind Monsters, and sharing the lessons of high-performance sport with audiences.
Discover the keynotes ↗Career highlights
- 2013–17Brazilian National TeamJoins Brazil's bobsleigh program.
- 2014Sochi OlympicsMember of Brazil's Olympic bobsleigh delegation (four-man reserve).
- 2021–24Team CanadaBrakeman with Canada's national bobsleigh program.
- 2022World Cup bronzeFour-man bronze with Canada in Whistler, plus North American Cup gold.
- 2023Top 10 on the World Cup8th in Altenberg, 13th at the World Championships. Co-founds Kind Monsters.
- Dec 2024The crashHead-on training collision: fractured femur, four leg muscles injured. Relearns to walk.
- 2026Redemption RunFeatured athlete in the CBC docuseries.
- 2026Milano Cortina19th in four-man for Brazil: the country's best-ever Olympic bobsleigh result.
14 months before the Games
THE CRASH.
THE COMEBACK.
In December 2024, a head-on training collision fractured Davidson's femur and injured four muscles in his legs. After complex surgery, he had to learn to walk again.
Fourteen months later, he was back on the Olympic start line for Brazil, part of the four-man crew that set the country's best-ever Olympic bobsleigh result.
Femurfractured
4leg muscles injured
19thMilano Cortina 2026
02 / Keynote experiences
WORDS THAT
MOVE PEOPLE.
The Push Start:
02
Four in a Sled:
What Winning Teams Do Differently
Trust, timing and shared commitment, from a sport where no one wins alone.
Teams / Conferences / Offsites
03
Big Goals.
Small Steps.
A talk on effort, resilience and chasing a dream, for students discovering what they're capable of.
Schools / Youth Sport / Community
Speaker packages · choose your audience
For corporations & teamsCORPORATEPACKAGEKeynotes, workshops and fireside chats for leadership offsites, conferences, sales kickoffs and sports organizations.Download PDF ↓For schools & youthSCHOOLS + YOUTH
PACKAGEAssemblies, leadership sessions and the new Train Like an Olympian keynote + fitness class, with bobsled-inspired or track & field options.Download PDF ↓
The philosophy
YOU DON'T RISE TO THE OCCASION.
YOU PREPARE FOR IT.
03 / Beyond the finish line
THE STORY
IN FRAMES.
Competition photography shown for editorial context. Explore press and video appearances below.
04 / Media & Press
THE STORY
BEYOND THE TRACK.
Explore news coverage, documentaries, interviews and official team announcements tracing Davidson's journey through elite bobsleigh.
CBC Gem · DocuseriesFeatured documentaryREDEMPTIONRUN.
A three-part CBC documentary series following the rebuild of Canada's national bobsleigh program on the road to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, with raw, behind-the-scenes access on and off the track. Davidson is a featured athlete in the series.
Press coverage · Multiple outlets
FROM SÃO PAULO TO CALGARY: CHASING THE BOBSLEIGH DREAM
A story of determination, sacrifice and the pursuit of high-performance sport, carried by multiple Canadian news outlets. Select a publication to read its coverage.
Podcast · YouTube
PODCAST INTERVIEW
Watch Davidson's podcast conversation on YouTube.
Official team news · Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton
NATIONAL BOBSLEIGH PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT
Read the national federation's announcement about its bobsleigh program ahead of the 2024–25 season.
Team partnership · Avec Sport
BRAZILIAN BOBSLEIGH TEAM & AVEC SPORT
Read about the Brazilian bobsleigh team's teamwear partnership in the lead-up to the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Na imprensa brasileira · In Brazilian press
Em português · ge (Globo)
BRASILEIRO VAI ÀS OLIMPÍADAS APÓS DEIXAR SELEÇÃO CANADENSE E SOBREVIVER A ACIDENTE NO BOBSLED
Brazilian sports coverage of Davidson's return to Team Brazil and his road to the Milano Cortina 2026 Games after his crash. Article in Portuguese.
Em português · UOL Esporte
JOGOS DE INVERNO: ACIDENTE, RECUPERAÇÃO E MILÃO-CORTINA
UOL Esporte on Davidson's accident, his recovery and his race at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Article in Portuguese.
05 / Kind Monsters
SPORTS
SAVE LIVES.
Kind Monsters is the community project Davidson co-founded to bring sport, mentorship and opportunity to young people in Brazil. Porque esporte salva vidas: because sport saves lives.
Train with Davidson · Coming soon
DS ELITEPERFORMANCE
.
Speed, strength and performance coaching from a two-time Olympian, built on the same training that took Davidson to the Olympic start line.
Visit DS Elite Performance ↗FAQ
QUESTIONS,
ANSWERED.
Who is Davidson "Boka" de Souza?
Davidson "Boka" de Souza is a two-time Brazilian Winter Olympian (Sochi 2014 and Milano Cortina 2026) and keynote speaker based in Calgary. He was part of Brazil's four-man bobsleigh crew that finished 19th at Milano Cortina 2026, the country's best-ever Olympic bobsleigh result, and won World Cup bronze with Team Canada in Whistler in 2022.
What does Davidson speak about?
Resilience after setbacks, teamwork, discipline, purpose and performance under pressure, drawn from his journey from São Paulo to the Olympics and his comeback from a December 2024 crash that fractured his femur.
Who are his talks for?
Corporations and leadership teams, conferences and sales kickoffs, sports organizations, and schools and youth programs.
Does Davidson speak virtually?
Yes. Keynotes, workshops and conversations are available in person or virtually. He is based in Calgary, Alberta, and travels for events.
How do I book Davidson?
Use the booking form on this page or download the corporate or schools and youth speaker package for formats and details.
06 / Book Davidson
MAKE YOUR
NEXT EVENT
COUNT.
For conferences, leadership events, schools and community programs. Share your event details to start a conversation about bringing Davidson to your audience.
Corporate package (PDF) ↓Schools + youth package (PDF) ↓
Follow Davidson