The AMP'D UP211 Podcast

We all have a story that changes the course of our lives. For Dr. Jokima Hiller, that story wasn't simply about losing a limb, it was about discovering a new way to see herself, and ultimately, a new way to help others see disability. When I sat down with Jokima, I expected to hear about her incredible accomplishments as an educator, entrepreneur, and hospitality leader. What I didn't expect was t...

Five Paralymic gold medals. Four world championships. World records. ESPY recognition. Those are the things you'll find when you search Jeremy Campbell's name. But that's not the conversation I wanted to have. When I sat down with Jeremy for this episode of the AMP'D UP211 Podcast, I wasn't nearly as interested in the medals as I was in the man who earned them. What happens after the podium? After...

Some stories change you while you’re listening to them. This is one of those episodes. In Episode 80 of AMP’D UP211, I sit down with author, amputee, and sepsis survivor Katy Grainger for an incredibly honest conversation about trauma, survival, identity, and rebuilding a life after everything changes. Many people know Katy’s story from the medical event that led to the loss of both of her legs an...

What happens after survival? On this episode of The AMP’D UP211 Podcast, I sit down once again with Josh Reed for a powerful in-studio conversation about what life really looks like after trauma. Last time, we talked about the accident, the amputation, and the fight to survive. This time, we go deeper into purpose, faith, growth, and the mindset it takes to rebuild your life mentally, physically,...

Some people tell stories. Others live them. And then there are people like Stuart St Paul… who have done both. From working in high-risk stunt environments… to directing award-winning films… to building a career around storytelling, Stuart has lived a life that most people only see on screen. But what makes this conversation different isn’t just where he’s been… it’s where his work has taken him n...

Not all recovery looks the way you think it should. Sometimes it is structured, disciplined, and built one step at a time. It is early mornings, hard conversations, and doing the work when no one is watching. And sometimes, it shows up in a completely unexpected way through laughter, connection, and yes… even a blue puppet named Bubbles. I met John Cooper, a Physical Therapy Assistant, and Robert...

In this episode, I sit down with Darren Richardson, a firefighter and paramedic, mindset and mental performance coach, and amputee whose story comes down to one thing, refusing to shrink when life hits hard. Darren’s journey starts at 13 years old when a hiking accident crushed his right foot and changed everything. Years later, after a long career serving others in the fire service, the invisible...

Some guests bring a great story. Others bring a perspective that challenges the way we think about the world around us. Angelina Martinson brings both. In this episode of The AMP’D UP211 Podcast , I sit down with Angelina, the creator of Adaptive Amputees, a biomedical engineer, athlete, and one of the fastest-growing voices in the limb loss community online. Born in Russia with a limb difference...

Twenty days. That’s how long Chef Zack Wannawong lay in a medically induced coma while surgeons fought a rare and aggressive infection that was tearing through his body. When he finally woke up, his right leg was gone. Just months earlier, Zack was a rising force in the culinary world, leading kitchens, creating award winning dishes, and building a future that felt certain. Overnight, that certain...

What if the future amputees have imagined for decades is no longer theoretical? I'm sitting down with Dr. Chris Duncan, Chief Medical Officer at BIOS, Biologic Input Output Systems, a company working at the frontier of neural interface technology. What they are building sounds like science fiction, but it is very real, very deliberate, and moving forward. For years, prosthetic innovation has focus...

What does it take to lose everything, and then earn it all back? In this episode of The AMP’D UP211 Podcast, Rick Bontkowski sits down with Deputy Sheriff Matt Swartz, a military veteran, law enforcement veteran, instructor, and amputee who returned to full-duty police work after a catastrophic crash and leg amputation. Matt’s career spans decades of service, beginning with the New York Air Nation...

In this episode of The AMP’D UP211 Podcast , I sit down with Gini Thomas , a creator, advocate, and unapologetically real voice in the amputee community. Gini is best known for her transparent, often humorous look into life as an amputee. Through social media, she educates, challenges assumptions, and brings much-needed visibility to topics many people shy away from, most notably osseointegration,...

On this episode of The AMP’D UP211 Podcast , host Rick Bontkowski; amputee, advocate, drummer, and storyteller, sits down with one of the most unexpectedly extraordinary people you’ll ever meet: Mark Watson . Mark isn’t a celebrity. He isn’t a decorated athlete. He isn’t a world-traveling motivational speaker.  He’s an everyday guy who survived a life-changing moment, and then quietly rebuilt his...

She didn’t just rewrite the rules, she built an entirely new playbook.  Viktoria Modesta, the world’s first amputee pop star and one of the most iconic creative forces in modern culture, sits down with Rick Bontkowski for a rare, revealing conversation. From medical trauma to global stages… From silence to self-invention… From prosthetic necessity to prosthetic art… Viktoria shares the raw, unfilt...

What if a retired prosthetic could be more than a memory? What if it could become a knife that honors a veteran’s story… or fund a child’s new leg… or even help an amputee climb a 14,000-foot mountain? In this inspiring episode, Rick Bontkowski sits down with Jason Dickens, founder of ReDefined Prosthetics, a nonprofit redefining what it means to give back to the limb-loss community. Jason’s missi...

On this episode of The AMP’D UP211 Podcast, host Rick Bontkowski welcomes Katy Grainger, a sepsis survivor whose life changed forever in the span of just a few days. What began as a small cut on her thumb quickly escalated into septic shock, organ failure, and a medically induced coma. When Katy awoke, she faced the unimaginable reality of losing both legs below the knee and the tips of nearly all...

What does it take to return to one of the most physically demanding jobs on earth, after losing your leg ? In this unforgettable episode of The AMP’D UP211 Podcast , host Rick Bontkowski sits down with Michael Laughlin , Canada’s first amputee firefighter, whose story is as courageous as the job he’s reclaimed. After a devastating motorcycle accident resulted in the loss of his leg, Michael faced...

In this powerful episode of The AMP’D UP211 Podcast , host Rick Bontkowski sits down with Parker Byrd, a standout athlete, college baseball player, and the first NCAA Division I player to compete with a prosthetic leg. After a life-altering boating accident took his leg, Parker defied every odd and returned to the field with more grit and heart than ever before. His story isn’t just about sports,...

What does it take to stare down adversity and keep climbing, literally? In this episode of The AMP’D UP211 Podcast, host and creator Rick Bontkowski sits down with Tom Jalinski, a bilateral below-the-knee amputee who refused to let limb loss define his limits. Tom takes us deep into the mental and physical grind of becoming an endurance hiker post-amputation, detailing the trails he's conquered, t...

What happens when determination outweighs despair? In this powerful episode of The AMP’D UP211 Podcast, host Rick Bontkowski sits down with Mark Ksobiech, an amputee who lost over 250 pounds and reclaimed his life in the face of overwhelming challenges. Mark opens up about the emotional and physical transformation that reshaped his identity, his health, and his purpose. This isn’t just a story abo...

Part 2 of this special live series brings you straight to the heart of the 2025 Limb Preservation Foundation Symposium , where leaders in medicine, technology, advocacy, and lived experience come together to reshape the future of limb care. Hosted and created by Rick Bontkowski , The AMP’D UP211 Podcast continues its mission to amplify voices from the limb loss and limb difference community, this...

Recorded live at the 2025 Limb Preservation Foundation Symposium in Golden Colorado, this is Part 1 of a powerful two-part AMP’D UP211 series that captures the energy, advocacy, and innovation driving the future of limb loss and limb preservation. Hosted by amputee and podcast creator Rick Bontkowski, this special episode puts you in the room with three trailblazers who are each reshaping the way...

What does it take to change a life with the gift of mobility? In this inspiring episode of The AMP’D UP211 Podcast, host Rick Bontkowski, a right below-knee amputee, and passionate advocate, sits down with Randy Titony, Executive Director of the Limbs for Life Foundation. Randy shares the powerful story behind Limbs for Life’s mission to provide prosthetic limbs to individuals who otherwise couldn...

Meet Jason Barnes, the drummer who defied the odds after losing his arm in an accident. He didn’t just return to drumming… he revolutionized it. With the help of cutting-edge robotics and pure grit, Jason now plays with a bionic arm and is pushing the boundaries of human potential. In honor of Limb Loss Awareness Month, this episode isn’t just about music; it’s about resilience, reinvention, and t...

What happens when life throws you a challenge that changes everything? For Travis Sanders, losing his leg wasn’t the end but the beginning of a powerful new chapter. In this episode of The AMP’D UP211 Podcast , Travis shares his resilience journey, from learning to navigate life as an amputee to thriving as a master barber, business owner, and mentor. Travis opens up about the struggles of steppin...