What happens when everything you’ve worked for is ripped away in an instant? 

Just weeks before beginning his military career, Matt Addison-Black was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. It had already spread to his stomach, lungs, and bowels. He was 22.

This conversation goes way beyond survival. Matt takes us inside the mental, emotional, and spiritual trenches of facing cancer at an age where most people are just getting started. We talk about identity loss, the quiet pain of watching friends drift away, and the surprising places where real resilience lives far from the battlefield.

He opens up about the bureaucracy he fought to stay in the military, the systems that helped him cope, and the moment he realised being strong doesn’t mean being silent. His ABCD method Ambitious, Brave, Curious, Determined became his anchor. But it was love, fatherhood, and purpose that pulled him through.

This one’s about what matters when everything is stripped away.

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