Jordan Thomas | Double Amputee Athlete and Philanthropist | Ep. 992

At 16, Jordan Thomas lost both legs in a Keys boating accident—and turned it into purpose. He launched the Jordan Thomas Foundation to help kids get the prosthetics and community they need through age 18, and he’s now a top adaptive golfer competing at the US Adaptive Open in Pinehurst. We get into mindset and trauma, why running blades aren’t covered, real talk on water safety, community beats hardware, and pushing policy so access is affordable and durable. Big heart, big mission—tons of practical takeaways. Connect with Jordan Instagram — @jordanthomasfoundation Website — https://www.jordanthomasfoundation.org Free Resources Saltwater Knot Guide — https://bit.ly/3UnAeIP Tom Rowland Podcast — https://bit.ly/3O4lgn0 Subscribe for More Unfiltered Conversationshttps://www.youtube.com/saltwaterexperience?sub_confirmation=1 Follow the Show Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/saltwater_experience/ TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@saltwaterexperience Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/tvswe

Conway Bowman is a legendary San Diego fly-fishing guide and pioneer of sight-fishing mako sharks from a 24’ bay boat. He’s a former wetlands manager who grew up in San Diego, spent summers in Idaho, and built a career around putting anglers eye-to-eye with apex predators—and sending them home safely. In this conversation, we talk about why makos have gotten so big, the exact conditions he looks for, and the discipline it takes to keep people safe when a 400- to 800-pound shark turns on the afterburners. 📘 Free Resources: 🎁 Saltwater Knot Guide → https://bit.ly/3UnAeIP 🎙️ Tom Rowland Podcast → https://bit.ly/3O4lgn0 📺 Subscribe for More Unfiltered Conversations → https://www.youtube.com/saltwaterexperience?sub_confirmation=1 📱 Follow the Show: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/saltwater_experience/ TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@saltwaterexperience Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/tvswe #MakoShark #FlyFishing #ConwayBowman #SanDiegoFishing #BluefinTuna #SaltwaterLegends

Captain Jimmy Armel is an Army Ranger veteran, founder of Knot Lucky Veteran Fishing, and a man on a mission to heal others through the ocean. After 11 years in the military—including brutal combat deployments—Jimmy faced the battles of PTSD, brain injuries, and addiction. Through fishing, plant medicine, and service, he found a path back to purpose. In this conversation, we go deep on combat, trauma, forgiveness, psychedelic therapy, shark tagging, and how fishing changes lives. Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation were: How fishing gave Jimmy purpose when everything else was falling apart. The raw truth about combat, concussions, and what veterans really experience. Jimmy’s near-death experience — and how it changed his outlook forever. The power of psychedelic therapy (Ibogaine & Ayahuasca) in healing trauma. Why helping veterans isn’t about pity — it’s about purpose, community, and action. 🔗 Visit Not Lucky Veteran Fishing – https://notlucky.org 🔗 Connect with Jimmy: Instagram → @jimmyleearmell 📘 Free Resources: 🎁 Saltwater Knot Guide → https://bit.ly/3UnAeIP 🎙️ Tom Rowland Podcast → https://bit.ly/3O4lgn0 📺 Subscribe for More Unfiltered Conversations → https://www.youtube.com/saltwaterexperience?sub_confirmation=1 📱 Follow the Show: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/saltwater_experience/ TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@saltwaterexperience Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/tvswe

Captain Blair Wiggins — known to many as the Mogan Man from Addictive Fishing — has spent decades shaping saltwater fishing on Florida’s Space Coast. Today, he’s leading the charge on one of the most ambitious conservation projects in the state: planting over 96 million clams to restore the Indian River Lagoon. In this conversation, Blair and I go deep on fishing history, the birth of Addictive Fishing, the boom and bust of the clam fishery, his new show Blair Wiggins Outdoors, and why restoring water quality is the fight of our generation. Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation were: The wild story of how “Mogan” became his nickname and brand. The rise of Addictive Fishing and what it was like to film all over the world. His first trip to Alaska — and how it changed him. The shocking scale of clam overharvesting and the black water years in the Indian River. How the Clam Project is filtering Florida’s waters and changing the future for fish, anglers, and families. 00:00 Introduction 01:10 The Origin of the “Mogan Man” 03:45 Addictive Fishing & Early ICAST Days 10:15 Adventures Filming Worldwide 14:30 Blair Wiggins Outdoors & Working With His Son 19:00 The Indian River Clam Project Story 23:45 Funding, Partners & Education Efforts 28:10 Water Quality Challenges & Fertilizer Impact 32:00 Final Reflections & Call to Action 🔗 Visit the Indian River Clam Project – https://irlclamproject.org 🔗 Connect With Captain Blair Wiggins: Instagram → @blairwigginsoutdoors Website → https://blairwigginsoutdoors.com 📘 Free Resources: 🎁 Saltwater Knot Guide → https://bit.ly/3UnAeIP 🎙️ Tom Rowland Podcast → https://bit.ly/3O4lgn0 📺 Subscribe for More Unfiltered Conversations → https://www.youtube.com/saltwaterexperience?sub_confirmation=1 📱 Follow the Show: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/saltwater_experience/ TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@saltwaterexperience Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/tvswe #ClamRestoration #BlairWiggins #FishingConservation #MoganMan #SaltwaterLegends

Wesley Brough — better known as Cabo Surf Caster — has been fishing the beaches of Baja for over 25 years. From trophy roosterfish to monster Pacific cubera snapper and mahi right from the sand, Wesley has dialed in one of the most unique surf fisheries in the world. In this conversation, we talk about Baja’s seasons, species behavior, lure tactics, guiding in Cabo, and what makes land-based fishing so addictive. Wesley also shares the behind-the-scenes strategy behind his epic social media clips that get millions of views. Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation were: How Baja’s beaches have changed — and where the fish still thrive The seasonal game plan from January to December for multiple species The insane story of landing a 73-pound Pacific cubera snapper on a surface lure Roosterfish “Godzilla mode” and how to time your cast perfectly The thrill (and heartbreak) of hooking big mahi from shore 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Growing Up in Cabo 06:45 Beach Access & Changing Coastlines 12:15 Seasonal Fishing Calendar in Baja 19:00 Tactics for Sierra Mackerel & Needlefish 28:10 Cubera Snapper on Topwater 39:30 Roosterfish Behavior & “Godzilla Mode” 51:15 Mahi in the Surf & Lost Giants 1:02:20 Life as a Full-Time Surf Fishing Guide 1:13:45 Social Media Strategy & Content Creation 1:21:00 Best Times to Visit Cabo for Fishing 🔗 Visit Wesley’s Website – https://cabosurfcaster.com 🔗 Connect With Wesley: Instagram → https://instagram.com/cabosurfcaster2 YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@CaboSurfCaster 📘 Free Resources: 🎁 Saltwater Knot Guide → https://bit.ly/3UnAeIP 🎙️ Tom Rowland Podcast → https://bit.ly/3O4lgn0 📺 Subscribe for More Unfiltered Conversations → https://www.youtube.com/saltwaterexperience?sub_confirmation=1 📱 Follow the Show: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/saltwater_experience/ TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@saltwaterexperience Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/tvswe #Roosterfish #SurfFishing #CaboMexico #FishingPodcast #SaltwaterLegends

Jameson Reeder Jr. is a shark attack survivor, amputee, surfer, and one of the most courageous young men I’ve ever spoken with. At just 10 years old, Jameson was attacked by a 9-foot bull shark while snorkeling in the Florida Keys. What followed was a miraculous chain of events involving strangers, a nurse who swam through shark-infested waters, a faster boat, and a powerful spiritual encounter that Jameson says saved his life. He and his father Jamon recount the entire journey in their new book, Rescue at the Reef. In this conversation, we talk about trauma, faith, family, facing your fears, and how this young man chose purpose over fear—and joy over bitterness. Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation were: The unbelievable moment Jameson said, “Jesus is going to save me,” moments after losing his leg Jamon’s impossible decision to hand off his son to a stranger on a faster boat Jameson’s vision of Jesus and the peace that carried him through the ride back The family’s return to the reef just weeks later to reclaim joy and face fear How Jameson now comforts others with trauma, proving strength can come in small packages Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Reeder family roots in the Keys 06:45 The day of the shark attack 15:00 The miracle rescue unfolds 22:45 Jameson’s spiritual experience on the boat 28:00 Hospital, trauma, and family response 35:15 Returning to the reef & keys that unlock fear 46:50 Speaking to others with trauma 54:40 Surfing, fishing, and shark advocacy 1:06:15 Finding purpose and what's next for Jameson 🔗 Visit Jameson & Jamon’s Website: https://rescueatthereef.com🔗 Connect With Jameson:Instagram → @jamesonreederjrWebsite → https://rescueatthereef.com 📘 Free Resources:🎁 Saltwater Knot Guide → https://bit.ly/3UnAeIP🎙️ Tom Rowland Podcast → https://bit.ly/3O4lgn0 📺 Subscribe for More Unfiltered Conversations→ https://www.youtube.com/saltwaterexperience?sub_confirmation=1 📱 Follow the Show:Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/saltwater_experience/TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@saltwaterexperienceFacebook → https://www.facebook.com/tvswe #RescueAtTheReef #JamesonReederJr #SharkAttackSurvivor #OvercomingFear #SaltwaterLegends 📘 Get the Book: Rescue at the Reef🎁 Free Saltwater Knot Guide → https://bit.ly/3UnAeIP🎙️ More Episodes → https://bit.ly/3O4lgn0 #RescueAtTheReef #

Jonathan Gluck is an award-winning writer and editor who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma at age 38 and given just 18 months to live. Over 21 years later, he joins Tom to share how fishing helped him survive, how mindset plays into healing, and why he wrote An Exercise in Uncertainty. This episode covers purpose, parenting, diagnosis, remission, resilience, and how to live when you don't know how much time you have left. If you liked this episode, share it with a friend, rate the show, and stay tuned for more unfiltered conversations. Tune in to hear this inspiring story and learn from John's experiences. You can also buy Jonathan’s book, “An Exercise in Uncertainty” wherever books are sold.  00:00 Introduction and Greetings 00:18 Fishing in Idaho and Jackson 00:47 The Glory Days of Fishing 01:16 Challenges of the Salmon Fly Hatch 02:54 Introducing the Book: An Exercise in Uncertainty 03:17 John's Illness and Diagnosis 03:51 Fishing as a Lifeline 04:47 Writing and Fishing Adventures 08:17 Career and Writing Focus 10:23 The Diagnosis Journey 18:26 Coping with Uncertainty 26:02 Purpose and Priorities 29:10 Fishing Dreams and Realities 33:25 Reflections on Health and Life 35:42 Facing Mortality and Embracing Life 36:45 Dealing with Remission and Relapse 39:22 Finding Solace in Fishing 42:36 The Role of Diet and Exercise 44:56 Advice for Cancer Patients 48:08 Writing the Book: A Journey of Reflection 53:53 The Importance of Mindset 01:05:08 Publishing and Promoting the Book 01:13:12 Final Thoughts and Future Plans 🚀 Special Thanks to Our Sponsor: Star brite https://bit.ly/TomRowlandPodcast 👋 Stay Connected with Tom Rowland: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tomrowlandpodcast Website & Show Notes https://bit.ly/3O4lgn0 Text: +1 (305) 930-7346 Email: [email protected] 🔗 Explore More: All Socials and Links https://linktr.ee/TomRowlandPodcast 🎥 Discover More of Tom’s Shows: Saltwater Experience https://bit.ly/4by096g Into the Blue Fishing https://bit.ly/48VZYju Life on the Water https://bit.ly/3Pp9rbs

How Jake Hutchison Built a Career in Fishing and Social Media In this episode of the Tom Rowland Podcast, I sit down with social media expert and fishing enthusiast Jake Hutcheson. Jake shares his unique journey from fishing in bass tournaments as a middle schooler to building custom rods and managing social media for Mudhole, a fishing rod company. Discover how growing out his hair became the best decision Jake made for his business development and hear his insights on using social media to drive sales and build a brand in the fishing industry. All of my other socials can be found here : https://linktr.ee/TomRowlandPodcast The Tom Rowland Podcast is presented by Star brite! Star brite is clean and protect with Star brite, a leading manufacturer of appearance, maintenance, and performance chemicals and accessories, serving the marine, RV, automotive, powersports, hardware, and home care industries for over 50 years. Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and with its manufacturing plant in Montgomery, AL, the company produces “Made In The USA” products, including its flagship ethanol fuel treatment, Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment. https://bit.ly/48tNW0y Podcast Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message 00:17 Meet Jake Hutchison: The Man Behind the Hair 01:41 Jake's Early Fishing Adventures 04:08 The Entrepreneurial Spirit: From Mowing Lawns to Guiding Fishing Trips 06:39 Discovering Rod Building 10:34 Landing the Dream Job at Mudhole 12:56 Navigating Social Media for Business Success 27:09 The Evolution of Social Media Platforms 32:27 Exploring the Fishing Industry 32:43 Creating Opportunities for Young Creators 34:33 The Importance of Social Media Skills 35:37 Impact of Social Media on Fishing 41:52 Forward Facing Sonar Debate 47:45 Fishing Etiquette and Social Media 53:26 ICAST and Influencer Marketing 58:51 Hot Seat Questions and Wrap-Up

Over the last year, we got a little carried away trying to organize the podcast into its own channels and destinations. The idea was to make things easier, but I realize now—it just created more confusion. That’s on us. And I really appreciate your patience. So here’s what we’re doing to fix it: ✅ Every single episode of the Tom Rowland Podcast is now back where it belongs (Saltwater Experience YouTube Channel) ✅ We’ve built organized playlists so you can find exactly what you’re looking for — Full Lengths, How-To Tuesdays, Physical Fridays, Behind the Scenes, and more. From Here Forward…this is home! 👉 Subscribe now to Saltwater Experience on YouTube to stay connected and never miss an episode. Today we are bringing back Ryan Crouser— a 6’7, 335lb bowhunting, bass fishing, 3x Olympic Gold Medalist in the Shot Put! Ryan discusses his athletic journey, his extensive training and nutrition regimen, and how fishing serves as his mental escape. Ryan also shares insights about his innovative shot put technique known as the ‘Crouser slide.' Additionally, they delve into Ryan's background in various sports, his impressive feats in weightlifting, and his aspirations in fishing, including his dream of catching a tarpon on a fly.

I have followed Mark Quartiano who is better known as Mark The Shark for a couple of years. To say that Mark is controversial is an understatement. Mark seems to relish the role as the bad boy of Sportfishing and referred to himself as the Darth Vader of Sportfishing. This was interesting to me because he also seems to have a lot of kind of contrary opinions and actions to being the badboy. For example, Mark has no problem killing big sharks and posting the pictures on Instagram, however after talking to him for a while I also learned that he has tagged more sharks than anyone in the world. He doesn't just kill sharks for no reason, they are sent to biologists or he takes them to the homeless shelter. I wanted to learn more about what made him tick so I took a chance and sent him a message. To my surprise, he responded right away and we set up the podcast even though he didn't know what a podcast was. When I met him at his iconic office in Miami it was literally jammed with shark jaws, pictures stacked 2 feet high of previous catches were all over his desk. There was so much stuff in his office that it was impossible to take it all in. Mark sat down and talked about anything I wanted to talk about and by the end of the conversation I knew way more about Mark the Shark than before. I understood where he was coming from and I understood his motivations for what he does. We discussed sharks, of course, tournaments, water quality and family as well as many other subjects. We may disagree on a few things but we also agree on probably way more than we disagree. In fact, at the end of the conversation I really liked Mark and respected his work ethic that has him working 450 trips a year…every year. There is no doubt that this will be the most controversial podcast I have ever done, but I am very happy that I get a chance to talk to Mark and was very impressed with his willingness to do this interview and answer any questions I had. Follow Mark The Shark on Instagram - https://bit.ly/4mtUa8D Visit Mark The Sharks Website - https://bit.ly/4mt1Yar 🔗 Connect With Mark The Shark: Instagram → @marktheshark Website → https://bit.ly/4mt1Yar 📘 Free Resources: 🎁 Saltwater Knot Guide → https://bit.ly/3UnAeIP 🎙️ Tom Rowland Podcast → https://bit.ly/3O4lgn0 📺 Subscribe for More Unfiltered Conversations → https://www.youtube.com/saltwaterexperience?sub_confirmation=1 📱 Follow the Show: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/saltwater_experience/ TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@saltwaterexperience Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/tvswe #MarkTheShark #SharkFishing #ControversialFisherman #TomRowlandPodcast #SportfishingDebate #SharkConservation #SaltwaterLegends 🚀 Special Thanks to Our Sponsor: Star brite https://bit.ly/TomRowlandPodcast 👋 Stay Connected with Tom Rowland: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tomrowlandpodcast Website & Show Notes https://bit.ly/3O4lgn0 Text: +1 (305) 930-7346 Email: [email protected] 🔗 Explore More: All Socials and Links https://linktr.ee/TomRowlandPodcast 💬 Let’s Keep in Touch! Text: +1 (305) 930-7346 Email: [email protected]