The Ben Stortini Show

My parents divorced when I was 10. I had so many questions, blamed myself and couldn’t understand why. Now, I’m watching friends and family experience divorce with kids caught in the middle—and my first thought is always about them. If your children won’t open up, remember: they’re listening and watching. Keep showing them love and showing them you’re trying. I also review the incredible new Eryka...

The Next-Life Training Theory suggests that each lifetime unknowingly prepares us for the next, carrying our abilities forward until we fulfil our ultimate purpose. This idea came to me while running and wondering why we work so hard if we eventually turn to dust. Maybe it was inspired by Daemon or recent discussions about AI and human extinction—but I had to explore it. I also reflect on a single...

My best friend is getting married, and we spent his bachelor party at an incredible Muskoka cottage on the water. I left feeling blessed, proud, and inspired after a competitive weekend of foosball, ping pong, pickleball—and even a little golf. There was also a dock, a little too much green, and Pickleball TV. I’m sharing the full weekend, my 9/11 story as we approach the 25th anniversary, and one...

Imagine, if you will… Parkdale, Toronto, around 2003. It’s one or two in the morning, and a real wiseguy at the Cadillac Lounge asks us if we want to join them at a backyard party. Naturally, we oblige. When we arrive, the backyard looks like a scene from a dream: a giant treehouse, lights everywhere, and a Home Alone-style wire running from the treehouse to an upstairs bedroom. But it’s what we d...

This episode is a journey through time, Toronto and the strange dimensions in between. While training for my next race, I crossed paths with three unforgettable people who seemed like travellers from the future—sent back to remind us to live freely and be ourselves. Then we jump through a portal to Toronto in 2009, where a hot summer ride on the Dufferin bus gets very messy. From there, we travel...

Seven people once tried to steal my 4Runner while my family slept. Then, last Friday, my lady called to say a man on a motorcycle was following her. The message is simple: stay ready so you don’t have to get ready. Protect your family, be a soldier, and be a lion. I also talk about duathlon training, running to Mystikal, why I hate golf and poker, and Toronto’s best cookies—Craig’s Cookies. I hope...

I bought a tri bike, so I guess I’m doing a triathlon. My addictive personality is officially locked in. I also saw a man at the gym who triggered a bizarre Toronto memory from 2003 involving a garbage bag of green, green lights, and aquariums everywhere. Then last night’s power outage got me thinking about Silicon Valley comparing AI to electricity—and why some tech nerds need to do a little more...

I had to get my guy, Adam "Iron Drini" Alessandrini, back on the show to let him shine. After competing at the Canadian Bodybuilding Nationals last week, he brought home a 3rd-place finish in his age group. I couldn't be more proud or happier for him, so this episode is dedicated to you, Adam. We talk about what it was really like preparing for the competition, the highs and lows of th...

The moment we touched down in Quebec, I could smell the Monster Energy drinks. The Esso green drink fiends were everywhere—it felt like we were under attack. The real reason we were there, though, was to welcome my sister's new baby. I couldn't be more proud of her. I also tell the story of dropping my little lady off at summer camp in The Beaches... some people really just need to relax....

My grandma (RIP) always told me I should be an actor. So, Grandma, I'm going to give this my all—my everything. After having my first audition just a week ago, I received another callback after sending in my second self-tape, making me two for two: two self-tapes, two callbacks. I can't explain how much fun I'm having since I started exploring this world. It really does feel like this...

I've always wanted to entertain. I've always wanted to be in front of the camera. So I finally took the first steps toward making that happen. I may be 46, but you're never too old to pursue your dreams. I got myself an agent, was asked to film a self-tape for a commercial, received a callback from the casting agency, and had my very first audition this week. I'm smiling as I write...

Last weekend was Father's Day. I had never reached out to my dad on Father's Day before, but for some reason, this year I wanted to. So I did. I genuinely wanted to wish him a Happy Father's Day, thinking it might make his day, knowing he probably wasn't getting any other texts. What happened next was embarrassing. But I made this show to get things off my chest, so here we go. Thi...

I couldn't wait for my Friday night cheat meal. I couldn't wait for that first bite... I sat down, turned on my documentary, and went in for my first bite of my Harry's burger. Boom. First bite... my back tooth breaks. Needless to say, my weekend turned into quite the adventure. I talk about my dentist appointment and meeting a dentist who sees the world the same way I do. Speaking of...

Life is like a jungle sometimes. Things move fast. One minute you're figuring out your own path, and the next your daughter is turning 10 and your 3-year-old son is bringing home his first medal. I almost didn't record this episode. I was in a bit of a mood. But I'm glad I did. We get into a wild neighbor story that reminded me of my own run-in years ago, talk a little religion, and di...

This episode is a love letter to running. Long before I became a runner, I watched my Grandpa run marathons. I saw the joy it brought him and the way people were drawn to him. To me, he wasn't just a runner — he was a hero. Since then, running has been there at every major crossroads in my life. It's helped me clear my mind, reset, prepare for what's next, and stay grounded through it...

This episode is about putting work into yourself and finally realizing how far you’ve actually come. When I started this show 2 years ago, I was a mess. But today? I feel like I’m back. Back to how I felt in 2009 when I met my soon-to-be wife — that funky groove, that confidence, that real version of me. In this one I talk about my best friend asking me to be his best man, old island summer memori...

White sand. Tans. Rosé. BBQ chicken. Aqua agua. Post-trip depression. Saint Maarten gave us exactly what we needed — peace. Watching my kids play in the ocean from our beach chairs outside the condo felt perfect. The waves, the heat, the music and the slow pace reset every cell in me. I ran hills, found an outdoor gym with giant tires to lift, and somehow balanced workouts with the vacation float....

Let’s take a trip down memory lane. No real format. No heavy structure. Just a trip back in time. With my family and I heading to St. Maarten, I wanted to leave you with something you could throw on, relax to, and get transported by while I’m away. After buying a CD drive and digitizing music I made over 24 years ago, I had an idea… Why not bring the guys back together and relive it? So I called u...

For 45 years, I’ve been chasing happiness. I’ve built a life I’m proud of — family, routine, fitness, all of it… and still, something feels missing. Lately, I’ve been asking myself — is it faith? is it God? Because in my hardest moments, I’ve caught myself praying… and I’m not religious. So why did I pray? This episode is me trying to figure that out — what that missing piece is, and why it won’t...

This one is Texas big. A degreed aerospace engineer — deep in math, physics, and fluid dynamics — flipped the script and went all in on music. Say hello to my lil friend… Mark Winters. We break down the moment that changed everything — writing and performing a song for his wife at a restaurant… and from that second on, he was hooked. We get into science and faith, fatherhood, and trusting that pul...

413 days after my first episode, “Who Am I?”, I felt it was time to check in. Back then — heavy stress, panic attacks, feeling out of my mind. Today — not perfect, but better. A lot better. So the question is… why? This episode is me digging into my own life — what changed, what helped, and what signs I might’ve missed. Because if I can understand what’s working, I can hold onto it. From the stres...

This one’s a trip back… To that age — 4 to 8 — where kids see and hear everything. We head to the mid-80s … Jane & Finch — Driftwood Ave … that high-rise apartment. Cockroaches as big as baby birds. The mysterious stairwell. Goalie pads made of insulation. From Maple Leaf Gardens to my first real encounters with ignorance and racism … it was all getting absorbed. And the soundtrack? 🎶 Fleetwo...

We got a real deal Holyfield Movie Star on this one… Before heading back to L.A., Emmanuel Kabongo sat down with me — and this goes way deeper than acting. This is about purpose . From cleaning trains late nights in Toronto — scrubbing down urinals and doing whatever it took … to being at Hollywood parties and crossing paths with names like Michael B. Jordan — Emmanuel breaks down the journey of t...

This one’s not about chivalry… it’s about the art of being a real Gentleman. No flash. No gimmicks. Just presence. Open the door. Eye contact. Pull out her chair. Make her laugh. Make her smile. Every man learns his own way to move… some develop that touch — some don’t. We dive into the Gentleman’s Game and why it still matters. We ride with Smokey Robinson , then slide to St. Clair for some salsa...

This one starts on less than 2 hours of sleep. 2:30 AM… my son Stelo says it’s time to go. Mamamia. But out of that fog… something special came through. This episode turned into a case study —a deep dive into the psychology of: Snakes and Snitches. You know the type. We all do. What they are… how they move…and how to deal with them in today’s world. And the evidence? We go into the moment when Sea...