Searching For Heroes With Benjamin Hall
Every Monday, Benjamin Hall will highlight stories of culture, belonging and acceptance. From overcoming the unthinkable, pioneering a new way of life to exploring diverse perspectives on the human experience. Benjamin, along with his remarkable guests will give voice to untold stories , while inspiring listeners to take a deeper look at their own.
Episodes
October 20, 2025 • 22 mins
Former NFL star and best-selling author Tim Green discusses his battle with progressive neurodegenerative disease (ALS) and how it transformed him not only physically but spiritually.
Despite no longer being able to speak, Tim continues to write, work, and communicate using an AI-generated voice and eye-tracking. He shares how his diagnosis reframed his values and purpose, while strengthening his relationship with his family.
T...
Mark as Played
October 13, 2025 • 50 mins
What if you woke up and lost 20 years of memories, and had no recollection of your husband and child? In 1991, that nightmare became a reality for Anne Howell.
Author of All That I Forget Anne Howell retells the journey of rebuilding her life after being diagnosed with retrograde amnesia at 30 years old and waking up in the hospital with the belief that she was 9 years old again.
Anne details the moments where she had to rel...
Mark as Played
October 6, 2025 • 41 mins
Host of The Connectors Podcast Quinten Sheriff was raised in a sheltered environment in Zimbabwe. At a young age, he was given parameters for how and who he should be, until one day he decided he was ready to take ownership of his life and run away with his partner to live in his truth as a gay man in Southern Africa.
What Quinten believed to be a desire to escape was ultimately a commitment to expand and not be held captive to ...
Mark as Played
September 29, 2025 • 18 mins
There's no set instruction manual for rebuilding your life, but the first step is simply, just to start.
Following several impactful conversations on the topics of rebirth and new beginnings, Benjamin reflects on what it means in his own life. After being severely injured in Ukraine and returning home, Benjamin's outlook on family, purpose, and resilience was reframed. He was allowed to re-experience life. Although the journey...
Mark as Played
September 22, 2025 • 37 mins
"If God didn't have a different plan and purpose for my life, I don't think I would be here today."
Author, speaker, and former Colombo Family Caporegime Michael Franzese details his experience with the mob and the epiphany that ultimately led him to turn a new chapter and step away from his life of crime.
Years later, Michael's life is dedicated to helping young people, who become entranced by the facade of glamour, fame, and po...
Mark as Played
September 15, 2025 • 59 mins
"It turned into this dark thing where I was using my pain as a party favor."
In 2018, Aaron Stark's story of rebirth captivated the nation when his TED Talk entitled "I Was Almost A School Shooter" went viral.
Aaron details how his traumatic childhood introduced him to a life of self-destruction and low self-esteem. He joins Ben to share how the unconditional kindness of a friend ultimately gave him the courage to rebuild his li...
Mark as Played
September 8, 2025 • 9 mins
Although not everyone experiences trauma that drives significant change, many people undergo transformations and choose to redirect their lives for a new purpose. Ben describes the courage it takes to go through a rebirth and how inspiring these stories are to people who desire a new lease on life.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mark as Played
September 1, 2025 • 40 mins
Award-winning journalist and the founder of 'The Forgiveness Project,' Marina Cantacuzino, explains the inspiration behind her passion project, 'The Forgiveness Project.' She shares stories of forgiveness and how her research deepened her understanding of the topic.
Marina examines the nature of forgiveness, providing examples of individuals who have experienced tragedies and how they've navigated their trauma. She also dissects...
Mark as Played
August 25, 2025 • 46 mins
On December 14, 2012, Scarlett Lewis experienced a life-altering pain when she, along with the world, discovered that her 6-year-old son Jesse, 19 of his classmates, and 6 educators had been killed in a school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school.
The morning of his murder, Jesse left three words, "Norturing Helinn Love" behind on the kitchen chalkboard, as a permanent reminder of his incredible and pure life. These three wor...
Mark as Played
August 18, 2025 • 43 mins
Does our society require us to forgive?
Author of "You Don't Need To Forgive," Amanda Ann Gregory, ponders whether it is a dire necessity.
As a trauma survivor, Amanda understands what it is like to struggle with the idea of forgiveness, and now as a licensed trauma psychotherapist, she helps others conquer the subject. She describes the importance of feeling all the emotions following a trauma, and explores the belief that for...
Mark as Played
August 11, 2025 • 39 mins
"There are victims at both ends of the gun," was Azim Khamisa's response when asked how he was able to forgive and build a relationship with his son's killer.
After the gang-related murder of his son Tariq in 1995, Azim grappled with the concept of forgiveness, leaning on his faith and family to help him heal. He shares his story of forgiveness and the steps he believes people can follow on their personal journeys of healing. Late...
Mark as Played
August 4, 2025 • 15 mins
As Benjamin closes out the theme of solitude, he introduces the next theme: forgiveness.Does forgiveness benefit society better than the victim? If it doesn't erase pain, does it restore what has been lost?
Does forgiveness come from the pressure to be noble?
Over the next few weeks Benjamin will have deep conversations to uncover the answers to these questions, while also exploring his own thoughts and feelings on both the pre...
Mark as Played
July 28, 2025 • 39 mins
Solitude Chapter 4: Is spending time alone the answer to redirecting our attention?
As Benjamin concludes this chapter on solitude he's joined by the author of The Point of Vanishing, Howard Axelrod.After suffering a traumatic eye injury, that left him blind in one eye, Howard felt disconnected from the world around him. His solution for reconnection was to pack his bags and move to the woods of northern Vermont for two years and ...
Mark as Played
July 21, 2025 • 35 mins
Solitude Chapter Three:
Ben and Principal Investigator of The Solitude Lab, Dr. Thuy-Vy Nguyen, explores the misconception that solitude is the absence of connection, as opposed to the positive presence of self.
Dr. Nguyen provides insight on how intention is a moderator between solitude and loneliness, understanding the difference between choosing to be alone vs. being in a state of isolation.
Later, they discuss how our time a...
Mark as Played
July 14, 2025 • 40 mins
Solitude Chapter 2: Imagine spending 76 days alone in a life raft, facing sharks, raft punctures, starvation, severe dehydration, and relentless sun.
After Steven Callahan's boat was struck during a storm in the middle of the ocean, that's exactly the situation he found himself in. Armed with only a short spear gun, a solar still to desalinate seawater, and a safety manual, Steven faced a host of physical challenges while lost a...
Mark as Played
July 7, 2025 • 42 mins
Imagine being dropped at the edge of Antarctica, the launch point for a 570-mile ski expedition to the bottom of the world. That’s where Chris Fagan and her husband Marti found themselves in 2013, beginning a grueling, 48-day, unguided journey to the South Pole—one that would ultimately earn them a Guinness World Record. Along the way, they faced periods of profound silence: on good days, a serene connection with nature; on bad day...
Mark as Played
June 30, 2025 • 9 mins
When Searching For Heroes first launched, Ben’s mission was simple yet powerful: to offer listeners hope and strength through stories of extraordinary resilience — from those who faced unimaginable tragedy to others who found joy after profound grief. That mission remains at the heart of the podcast, but now Ben is expanding the vision.
In this new chapter, the podcast will dive deeper into the many dimensions of human resilience,...
Mark as Played
June 23, 2025 • 20 mins
For most Americans, the 4th of July means beaches and BBQs — but on that day in 2012, Army Staff Sergeant Monte Bernardo was fighting for his life in Afghanistan. After stepping on an IED, Monte lost both legs and his left arm, beginning a long and grueling recovery. With the help of his family and the Semper Fi & America’s Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides lifetime support for critically wounded or ill service members, ...
Mark as Played
June 16, 2025 • 47 mins
Danny Combs' son, Dylan, was just two when he was diagnosed with autism. Although Dylan wasn't able to say "I love you, Dad" until he was six years old, he had started building complex LEGO sets by himself, with no instructions, three years prior. In speaking with his son's therapists, Danny wanted to highlight the fascinating skills his son possessed — but the primary focus was always on what Dylan couldn't do, not what he could.
...
Mark as Played
June 9, 2025 • 34 mins
She became an atheist at just fourteen years old due to the suffering she saw in the world and problems she observed within the Catholic Church. Fast forward to now, she's a nun who has fully devoted her life to Christ and her mission: finding God in the midst of misery and providing a safe space for those who have been hurt by members of the Church.
Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble, co-creator of Sisters of the Little Way, joins Ben...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.