Episode 26 - Russell Manser. Living with constant stress.

Explicit content warning

05/04/23 • 59 min

For Russell Manser, robbing a bank felt like parachuting out of a plane. The adrenaline, the rush, the risk.

Crashing through the doors, sizing up the room, hoping the security guard in the corner didn't decide to be a hero. Leaping over the teller counters to empty the drawers where the big bank notes were kept.

And yet, in spite of the balaclava and the weapon, he was regarded by his peers as "a gentleman" bank robber. Polite. Professional. The guns were rarely loaded. "You don't want people panicking because that will cause you problems."

Sometimes he would even apologise and tell them to "have a good day" on the way out. The real thrill was getting out the door without being blasted in the head, holding a big bag of cash.

But there is no such thing as a gentleman bank robber. There is just a criminal. He knows that now. He knows he traumatised and damaged people, terrified them.

Manser, about to turn 17, was sentenced to 12 months in an adult prison to deter "kids from Mount Druitt stealing Porsches from affluent areas".

At Long Bay he was put into One Wing — a protection wing — which often housed sex offenders who would otherwise be killed in the main prison. He was skinny, young, blonde and blue-eyed. A "pretty boy".

Manser says as he was put into a cell with two paedophiles, the prison officer said, "have fun, boys".

"I was just a kid," Manser recalls.

Follow me on Instagram and YouTube.

For more, go to https://www.paramedicmindset.com.au/

Music by Ehrling Music.

For Russell Manser, robbing a bank felt like parachuting out of a plane. The adrenaline, the rush, the risk.

Sometimes he would even apologise and tell them to "have a good day" on the way out. The real thrill was getting out the door without being blasted in the head, holding a big bag of cash.

But there is no such thing as a gentleman bank robber. There is just a criminal. He knows that now. He knows he traumatised and damaged people, terrified them.

Manser, about to turn 17, was sentenced to 12 months in an adult prison to deter "kids from Mount Druitt stealing Porsches from affluent areas".

Manser says as he was put into a cell with two paedophiles, the prison officer said, "have fun, boys".

"I was just a kid," Manser recalls.

Follow me on Instagram and YouTube.

For more, go to https://www.paramedicmindset.com.au/

Music by Ehrling Music.

Previous Episode

Episode 25 - Darren Hodge. How to reset when pressure overwhelms.

His career in Ambulance Victoria has been rich with opportunities. Only a few years had passed after qualifying as a paramedic he was offered the opportunity to undertake intensive care training, known as MICA. He found the role at times challenging, but highly rewarding.

Tenures at the different ambulance colleges unearthed a love of teaching that continues today and has spanned more than 25 years. Assisting paramedics to master their craft has been one of his most satisfying achievements.

After 15 years as a paramedic, he achieved his ultimate career goal after joining Air Ambulance, working on fixed and rotary wing aircraft. He describes the role as extreme, attending to the sickest and most seriously injured patients. A role that has seen him in the waters of Bass Straight, the deep Victorian bush and on top of the highest snow-covered mountains, all to help a person in need.

He regards his experiences working with highly talented paramedics, pilots and crewmen at Air Ambulance as a career highlight,

“To work in a team of people committed to helping a patient in crisis is a privilege. To know that your team has played a small part in saving a life, there can be no greater reward”.

For more go to, https://www.darrenhodge.com/

Follow me on Instagram and YouTube.

For more, go to https://www.paramedicmindset.com.au/

Music by Ehrling Music

Next Episode

Episode 27 - James Roth. Mt Everest Lessons and Medical Expedition.

James is a medical doctor with an interest in the extremes of human performance and physiology. With a background in critical care medicine he has been fortunate to combine this professional experience with first hand involvement in a range of challenging environmental extremes.

Through the completion of ultramarathons and high-altitude climbing expeditions, including a successful ascent of Mt Everest, he is passionate about translating this understanding to how our bodies and minds function when under extreme pressure.

Follow me on Instagram and YouTube.

For more, go to https://www.paramedicmindset.com.au/

Music by Ehrling Music.