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 life with grit, humility, and a sense of humor that’s impossible not to love.

This conversation peels back layers that most “inspiring stories” never touch. Mark opens up about the amputation that reshaped his identity, the dark private battles that came after, and the fierce determination it took to reclaim joy, purpose, and forward motion. You’ll hear the moments he almost gave up… and the surprising things that pulled him back.

If you’ve ever wondered what real resilience looks like, ordinary, honest, unpolished resilience, this episode will stay with you long after you finish listening.

The AMP’D UP211 Podcast is dedicated to sharing the stories of amputees, survivors, creators, and everyday warriors who remind us that extraordinary lives are often built from the most unexpected moments.

Subscribe, share, and join us on this journey of courage, humor, and the relentless pursuit of living fully.

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, unfiltered truth behind her rise, her reinvention, and her mission to push culture forward through creativity, technology, and unapologetic individuality. This episode explores identity, confidence, disruption, disability representation, and what it truly means to design the life you want — even when the world isn’t designed for you.

About the Podcast:
The AMP’D UP211 Podcast is created and hosted by Rick Bontkowski, an amputee drummer, storyteller, and builder of community. The show spotlights extraordinary people rewriting what’s possible, one story at a time.

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 mission is simple but powerful: take old prosthetics and transform them into tools, art, and opportunities that continue the story of resilience. Through partnerships with makers, veterans, and amputees across the country, ReDefined Prosthetics funds pediatric prosthetic care, and hosts free events like the 14,000 Ft Peak Challenge..

This episode dives deep into creativity, advocacy, and the kind of quiet strength that fuels real change. Whether you’re part of the amputee community or just someone searching for perspective, Jason’s message will move you.

Rick Bontkowski

Creator & Host