Croc King Provides Inspiration

Doogie Sandtiger (yes, that’s his real name) wowed the audience at his talk after breakfast at the club meeting last Saturday, November 1, 2025. Sandtiger, self-billed as the Croc King, is so named for his Guinness World Records title as the holder of the largest collection of Crocs™.

But that is only a small part of the story. Sandtiger grew up in foster care. He tells of missing so much growing up. He emancipated himself as soon as he was legally able. He now shapes his life to make up for what he missed as a child through setting goals and having experiences.

Here it is story in his own words:

I’ve lived in Connecticut my entire life, and I spent my entire childhood bouncing around foster homes, orphanages and group homes, up until I was 16 years old.

When I turned 16, I went to court and emancipated myself from state custody, because I wanted to experience life as a real human being. Being thrown around the system for nearly 15 years- it stunts growth and development, hides you away from society, and you don’t get to experience regular child things like birthday parties, holidays, dressing up on Halloween, going to the park after school to pay with your friends. I missed everything, and I wanted to experience life, on my own terms, despite having nowhere to live after emancipating myself.

While growing up in the foster care system, I was a very shy kid, struggled to make connections with others, so I resorted to reading and writing as my escape from the horrors of the system.

As an avid writer, I explored all genres, including poetry. I also enjoyed journaling and documenting my daily life as a kid in the system. It was all very healing to me.

From there, I realized that I loved writing down goals, no matter how small or big, and I started a goals list. It helped keep me focused and motivated, and gave me a sense of purpose and identity to my life. My goals list eventually evolved into a Bucket List, where I just wanted to rewrite my childhood, rewrite my entire life, and experience everything the world has to offer.

I still add things and cross things off my Bucket List all the time: from setting a Guinness World Record, to traveling the world, to hiking some of the most dangerous mountains, to publishing a book, adopting a dog, to meeting childhood idols, running in marathon, the list goes on and on and on.

I want to experience the entire world.

Kiwanis photograph by Jim McMorris