On this episode of Free Thinking with Montel, Montel sits down with endurance runners Colin Goodman and Matthew Knaggs—two men living with Multiple Sclerosis who refuse to let diagnosis define their future.

After being diagnosed with MS, both Colin and Matt chose movement over fear. Their latest challenge is extraordinary: a 350-mile run across Ireland from Mizen Head to Malin Head, raising funds and awareness for MS while sparking honest conversations about resilience, identity, and what it means to live fully with chronic illness.

This episode isn’t about elite athleticism—it’s about mindset. Colin and Matt speak candidly about the realities of MS: fatigue, uncertainty, mental battles, and the daily work of adapting to a body that doesn’t always cooperate. They also share how humor, friendship, and community can transform struggle into purpose.

It’s a conversation about redefining limits, finding strength in vulnerability, and proving that life after diagnosis can still be bold, ambitious, and deeply meaningful.

Whether you live with MS, care for someone who does, or simply need a reminder of human resilience, this episode will stay with you long after the finish line.

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For many veterans and first responders, the hardest battles don’t end when the uniform comes off. Trauma, PTSD, and moral injury can follow them home—quietly shaping relationships, identity, and everyday life.

On this episode of Free Thinking with Montel, Montel sits down with Lew and Nicole Duckwall, co-founders of Patriot Anglers, to talk about what healing actually looks like after service.

Lew is a military veteran who struggled with severe PTSD after leaving the military. When traditional paths didn’t bring relief, he found an unexpected lifeline in fly fishing. What started as time alone in nature became a deeply therapeutic practice—one that helped him regulate his mind, reconnect with purpose, and rebuild his life. That personal breakthrough became the foundation for Patriot Anglers, a nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans and first responders cope with trauma through guided fly fishing experiences.

Nicole brings the essential perspective of a military spouse and caregiver. She shares what it means to love someone living with PTSD, the emotional weight carried by families, and the resilience required to heal together. Their story is not just about recovery—it’s about partnership, patience, and turning pain into service for others.

This conversation explores the lived reality of PTSD, the power of non-traditional healing pathways, and the importance of community in recovery. It’s an honest, grounded look at trauma, resilience, and the many ways people can find their way back to themselves.

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What does it take to break a cycle you were born into?

This week on Free Thinking with Montel, I sit down with Roy Hughes — author, veteran, and foster care survivor — to talk about resilience, responsibility, and redefining what family really means.

Roy’s new memoir, Empty Hands: How One Foster Child Sacrificed Everything He Knew for Life, Liberty, and Happiness, is a raw and unfiltered look at growing up inside the foster system, surviving abuse, and fighting for a future he was never promised. But this isn’t just a story about hardship — it’s a story about choice.

After aging out of care, Roy enlisted in the military, where discipline and service helped him rebuild his identity. Then he made a decision that would change his life forever: he adopted his younger sibling to keep his family from being torn apart. That act of love forced him to grow up overnight — and ultimately helped him heal.

This conversation explores trauma, forgiveness, masculinity, mental health, and the power of stepping up when no one else will. Roy’s story is tough, honest, and deeply human — the kind of perspective that reminds us how much strength can come from the most unlikely places.

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s possible to rewrite your story… this episode is proof that it is.

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