In this inspiring episode of the We’re Not Stumped podcast, host Mike Bolland explores three incredible stories of resilience, community, and inclusion:
🌟 A Marine veteran and double amputee shares how jiu-jitsu has transformed his life, bringing peace and purpose through the sport.
🎅 Discover how an amputee center’s holiday program welcomed Santa to spread joy and foster community spirit.
💡 Learn about Diverse Ability Incorporated and their groundbreaking work in creating inclusive opportunities for people of all abilities.
Join us for heartfelt discussions on overcoming challenges, celebrating diversity, and building stronger, more inclusive communities. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more uplifting stories!
Story 1: https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/marine-vet-double-amputee-finds-peace-in-jiu-jitsu
Diverse Ability Incorporated: https://diverseabilityincorporated.org/
#InclusionMatters #JiuJitsu #AmputeeStories #DiverseAbility #HolidayInspiration
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Watch on YouTube
Listen on Spotify
What does it take to turn a life challenge into a lifelong passion for sports and coaching? On this episode of We're Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland talks with Marc Burkom, a double below-knee amputee born with fibular hemimelia who has built a life around athletics, coaching, and helping others reach their potential. Marc shares how his parents made the difficult decision to amputate his feet when he was just two months old — a choice that allowed him to grow up active in sports like soccer, baseball, and basketball. Today, Marc works in coaching education and advocates for expanding opportunities for adaptive and amputee athletes. In this conversation, Marc and Mike discuss growing up with prosthetics, the role sports played in building confidence, coaching amputee soccer, adaptive sports like amputee basketball, and how prosthetic technology has evolved over the years.
In this deeply moving episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland welcomes Scott Martin, a bilateral hand amputee, soccer coach, and author of the upcoming memoir Play From Your Heart. Scott opens up about the life-altering infection in 1993 that led to the loss of both hands and parts of his feet, and the emotional aftermath that followed. He speaks honestly about denial, detachment, and the five-year struggle with depression that tested his identity, confidence, and purpose.
What happens when lived experience meets entrepreneurship? In this episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike Bolland sits down with Owen Kent, an entrepreneur living with muscular dystrophy who is reshaping the future of assistive technology. After facing limited access to effective rehabilitation tools, Owen co-founded a company to develop a simple, home-based exoskeleton designed to make recovery more accessible. From customer discovery and design thinking to universal design principles, Owen shares how building technology for underserved communities requires more than innovation — it requires empathy.



