In this compelling episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland sits down with Steven Vine for a raw, honest, and deeply human conversation about survival, disability, and rebuilding life after everything changes. Steven shares how a sudden medical emergency in 2016—caused by an undiagnosed genetic heart condition—led to a near-fatal aneurysm and a six-month coma. He awoke blind, a right above-knee amputee, living with an ostomy bag, and navigating chronic pain.
Before his medical crisis, Steven was a nationally ranked teenage track and field athlete who idolized Steve Prefontaine and later owned and operated a fine dining Italian restaurant. In this episode, he reflects on the physical, emotional, and psychological toll of disability, including depression, anger, opioid use and withdrawal, and the loss of relationships—while also sharing how caregiving support helped him reclaim independence.
Steven explains how his recovery inspired him to launch The Disability Diaries podcast, creating space for honest conversations that help people feel seen and less alone. The episode also explores listening to health warning signs, adapting to blindness, managing chronic pain, and redefining purpose. Steven closes by sharing updates on his upcoming memoir, Beyond These Green Eyes, and his mission to use storytelling as a tool for connection, resilience, and hope.
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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.
