Rowing Blossom Bar at 15 — Then Jumping Out of Planes with Aaron DeSilva
Episode 29 | Go Wildly Podcast
About This Episode
Some lives are built for movement. Aaron DeSilva's is one of them.In this episode of Go Wildly, we sit down with Aaron DeSilva — Talent, Oregon native, Rogue River guide, former pro motocross athlete, skydiver, firefighter, EMT, scrub tech, and Warrior Impact trip support — for a conversation about adrenaline, service, grit, and the river that started it all.Aaron grew up in Southern Oregon and began guiding on the Rogue River at 15 years old — including rowing Blossom Bar, one of the most technical rapids on the river. Decades later, the river is still central to his life. He guides on the Lower Rogue and Lower Salmon, and supports trips with Warrior Impact, helping provide healing spaces for first responders and military veterans.In between, he turned pro in motocross, jumped out of planes starting at 21 (including one jump that went seriously sideways), served as a firefighter and EMT in Oregon and Southern California, and now works as a scrub tech in the operating room. He's also a proud husband and father who believes getting kids outside might be one of the most important things we can do.
In This Episode
- Rowing Blossom Bar at 15 — and a trip from hell as an adult with his mentors
- Going pro in motocross and what that world taught him
- Skydiving at 21, how he met his wife in the air, and a harrowing jump
- Advice for getting into skydiving and reducing barriers to entry
- Life as a firefighter and EMT — and what service does to a person
- Guiding with Warrior Impact and supporting veterans and first responders
- Quality of life as a matter of perspective
- Praise for his daughter and why getting kids outdoors matters
- What keeps drawing him back to the river
Organizations Mentioned
Warrior Impact: https://www.warriorimpact.org
Save A Warrior: https://www.saveawarrior.org
About Aaron DeSilva
Aaron DeSilva was born and raised in Talent, Oregon, and has been shaped by the outdoors from day one. He started guiding on the Rogue River at 15 and has spent decades on the water as a private boater, commercial guide, and fishing guide on the Rogue and Alaska's Upper Kenai River. A former pro motocross athlete turned skydiver, he later served as a firefighter and EMT in both Oregon and Southern California. Today he works as a scrub tech in the operating room, guides on the Lower Rogue and Lower Salmon, and supports Warrior Impact trips for first responders and military veterans. He is a proud husband and father, rooted deeply in family and community.
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Credits
Hosted, Edited & Produced by Go Wildly Podcast
Theme Music: "Rainmaker" by Jared Masters — used with permission
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KeywordsGo Wildly Podcast, Southern Oregon podcast, outdoor podcast, Aaron DeSilva, Rogue River guide, Blossom Bar, Lower Rogue River, Lower Salmon River, Upper Kenai River, skydiving, motocross, firefighter EMT, Warrior Impact, Save A Warrior, veteran healing outdoors, first responder wellness, outdoor adventure, Talent Oregon, barriers to entry outdoors, getting kids outside, adrenaline sports, place-based podcast, resilience, service and the outdoors
50 分