Searching For Heroes With Benjamin Hall

On this Easter Monday, Ben revisits his conversation with disaster psychologist and disaster ministry expert Dr. Jamie Aten, on faith and resilience.

Dr. Aten dives into complex questions surrounding faith, tragedy, and resilience — and explains how his experiences and extensive research have allowed him to merge his understanding of the three.

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On Monday, April 15th, 2013, while crowds cheered on runners at the 117th Boston Marathon, no one could anticipate the events that would unfold. Two pressure-cooker bombs would detonate in a terrorist attack near the finish line, killing three people and injuring more than 260 others.

Among the injured was Marc Fucarile, who was supporting a friend when the second bomb went off right beside him, leaving him critically injured. Marc joins Ben to share his incredible story of resilience, faith and survival. He sheds light on how our most vulnerable moments are often the ones that make us stronger.

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Imagine being accused of a murder you didn’t commit — and spending over 20 years behind bars, knowing the real killer was still free. That was Troshawn McCoy’s reality. 

As one of the Marquette Park Four, Troshawn was coerced by Chicago police into falsely confessing to a double murder and robbery. Despite zero physical or forensic evidence, he was sentenced to 55 years in prison. Decades later, newly analyzed fingerprint evidence proved what Troshawn had always known; he was innocent. This discovery ultimately led to all four men being exonerated in 2017. 

Troshawn sits down with Ben to discuss what it was like losing two decades of his life behind bars, the moment he found out he may be freed, and how he's now advocating and fighting to reform the criminal justice system.

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When Sergeant Alfred Brenner and his military dog Grief were hit by an IED in Afghanistan, he wasn't focused on the pain his severe injuries were causing - but on the fact nobody was calling out for his partner, Grief.

In the months to follow, Sergeant Brenner underwent many physical challenges while recovering. But nothing would come close to the pain he endured learning to live without Grief -- who wasn't only his K9, but his closest ally and best friend.

Retired Sergeant Brenner joins Ben to open up about what this recovery process was like, how he continues to honor Grief's memory, and why the bond that forms between a soldier and man's best friend is incomparable -- something he explores in depth in his book, Surviving with Grief: The Story of How a Marine and His Dog Survived The Everyday Battles of War.

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He was only thirteen years old when he began being groomed by the mother of a young boy who was in his Cub Scout troop. Years of abuse would follow, and even after he was free of his abuser, James Dold struggled immensely with the trauma he endured and how he was to move forward. Instead of letting this fear and pain drag him down, he turned to advocacy that has changed the world.

Today, James joins Benjamin to discuss how he turned affliction into determination - leading him to pass 40 new anti-human trafficking laws and create Human Rights for Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of children who have nobody to turn to. He also shares how people can join in this fight, ensuring the criminal justice system is treating children who've experienced severe trauma fairly.

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Friday, March 14th, marked three years since Ben and his team were struck by a Russian missile in Ukraine. While Ben's first year after the accident was spent in intense recovery as he learned how to walk again, the time since has been an enlightening period of reflection -- as he looked back on how much his life has changed since 2022, and how much he's learned about people, resilience, and resolve in the process.

Starting tomorrow, Ben's reflections will be available for all to read in his new book, "Resolute: How We Humans Keep Finding Ways to Beat the Toughest Odds," which takes a deep dive into the revelations he's had since his life-altering accident, and features interviews with those who inspired Ben in his journey to understand what makes humans truly resolute.

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"As long as a writer is read, he is alive." - Victoria Amelina

37-year-old author, Victoria Amelina was documenting the pivotal work Ukrainian women were doing in the Russia-Ukraine War when she was tragically killed in a Russian missile attack. Instead of letting her words be lost, her husband, friends, and colleagues came together to ensure her work was shared with the world. With the help of loved ones, Victoria Amelina now lives on through her book, 'Looking at Women Looking at War.'

Close friend of Victoria, Ukrainian journalist and cultural manager Tetyana Teren, joins Benjamin to reflect on how she and Victoria had worked together to publish other deceased writers' works, and why it was crucial Victoria's story be finished. She also discusses the heart-wrenching challenge of watching so many of her colleagues and friends fall victim to the war and the driving force that pushes her forward: knowing the work she and fellow Ukrainian journalists are doing is crucial in revealing the realities of the war and preserving Ukrainian history and culture.

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Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, a 40-day period where Christians around the world offer a sacrifice to God. 

Actor, Mark Wahlberg and Benjamin discuss the meaning of the Lenten season in their lives and the beauty in letting go to make room for your faith.

Mark also shares how the Hallow app reconnects believers to their faith. 

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Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, a 40-day period where Christians around the world offer a sacrifice to God. 

Actor, Mark Wahlberg and Benjamin discuss the meaning of the Lenten season in their lives and the beauty in letting go to make room for your faith.

Mark also shares how the Hallow app reconnects believers to their faith. 

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Can faith breed resilience, or vice versa? And how does resilience differ across various communities, cultures, and continents?

From battling stage IV colon cancer to surviving Hurricane Katrina, Jamie Aten, Ph.D., has both experienced and witnessed intense suffering. And though this seems like it would have hardened Dr. Aten's outlook on the world, it instead made him curious — ultimately leading him to become a disaster psychologist and ministry expert. 

Dr. Aten dives into complex questions surrounding faith, tragedy, and resilience — and explains how his experiences and extensive research have allowed him to merge his understanding of the three.

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