David Jackson (Jacko) from Pro Breathwork. Jacko is a Master Oxygen Advantage coach and mentor passionate about making 'breathwork' normal and helping people use their breath as a tool to help them connect to themselves.

We spoke with Jacko about all things Kickback Coffee, his relationship with the outdoors, connecting with people through his breathwork practice, and his adventures to come in 2024.

Hey Jacko! Congrats on being the first ever Journey in to the Outdoors interview. Could you tell us a bit about how you’re involved in Kickback Coffee?

Well I’ve been lucky enough to know Shawsy (Alex Shaw, Kickback Coffee founder!) for a long old while. As someone like Alex who has also transitioned away from the rugby world into a new career, I’ve been following the growth of Kickback since the start! I also ran the inaugural Peak Divide repping Kickback in April 2023 along with my wife. Oh and Kickback also supported me on my Snowdon 24 hour challenge! So quite a lot when you add it all up.

What does the outdoors mean to you? 

I’d say the outdoors has simply changed for me as a sports person playing rugby as a job, I sort of took it for granted that I was always outside. It was a different type of time in the outdoors, spending time on lots of training pitches and in stadiums. 

I do remember one game being played in Melrose in Scotland. I remember looking at the posts and seeing the hills in the background. That was the first time I was on a rugby field and felt surrounded by nature, looking up and being like wow. 

Having moved away from sport, I now proactively seek the outdoors in the everyday. I believe there's something inside of us, that calls us to spend time outdoors. I’ve recently moved to North Wales, so actually, going into the mountains feels like coming home in that way. Standing on the top of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) on a clear day or when it’s windy and you’re nearly blown away, it makes you feel alive. 

How does the change in seasons impact your time outdoors?  

I think the difference in seasons for me is how the environment around me changes and how I engage with it. Cold water immersion is another daily habit of mine and it’s a big part of my breathwork practice. So the outdoor temperature massively affects that - you learn to adapt to the cold in the winter, 30 seconds sometimes being the most you can stay in. Sure summer feels easier, but winter is a different type of challenge that can add up to the feeling more alive. I love that feeling, can’t beat it!

How do you share the outdoors with others?

I guess sharing pictures and stories can be powerful but the main this is through inviting people to come with you. My neighbour has lived in our village here for 49 years. He lives five kilometres from Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and never been up. He’s seen us going up quite a bit and asked will we take him up. So we did, around Christmas time, and he brought his mate as well. 

 And then the obvious one is through my work. I’m a breathwork coach and mentor so it’s all about sharing that with people. It relates back to everything we were saying about the feeling alive up a hill, it’s sharing a similar feeding. Ever since I've switched to nasal breathing, you just feel calmer. And you then suddenly when you have that switch back to mouth breathing, it’s like the panicky feeling and the lack of regulation. It’s like that with outdoors - you have to be super proactive at first to get out regularly but then the habit just becomes that norm. 

And finally, what adventures have you got coming up?

Well I’ve bagged a spot on the Snowdon Marathon Eryri, and also got another Snowdon 24 hour challenge in the pipeline - last year I submitted six times in 24 hours so I’m hoping to better that this year. And then of course another Peak Divide mission in April! 

If you want to follow Jacko’s adventures, you can find him @jacko.david.jackson and head over to his website for his free foundations of breathing course.