Ruck the Way is a podcast about the sacred work that happens when you put one foot in front of the other.
Hosts Gabe (a former Army infantry officer turned coach) and Chris (a Scotland-based guide, coach, and ministry leader) have spent the last decade walking ancient paths together across continents—discovering that pilgrimage is a physical journey for a spiritual purpose, and that something real gets unlocked “on the way.”
Each episode feels like the kind of honest conversation you only have while walking beside someone: stories, faith, healing, and the weight we all carry—what’s in your rucksack. We’ll explore “thin spaces” and “moments of reckoning,” talk about the brain science behind why walking helps us process (yes, really), and share guest stories of struggle, joy, and transformation.
Our tagline says it best: Let the walk do the work.
So slow down to the “three-miles-an-hour life,” and come ruck with us.
RUCK RELOADED: Unpacking the Masculine Journey with Chris Bruno
UPCOMING PILGRIMAGE: https://www.rucktheway.com/pilgrimage (https://www.rucktheway.com/pilgrimage)
Ruck Reloaded! We look back at this episode of Ruck the Way Podcast, hosts Chris Furr and Gabe Smith welcome their guest, Chris Bruno, founder of The Restoration Project and author of Sage. Together, they explore the transformative power of pilgrimage, the deep spiritual dynamic of walking alongside brothers, and the profound metaphor of the rucksack we all carry in life. Chris Bruno shares his personal story—from growing up in a complex family dynamic in Colorado to living as an international Christian worker in Germany and Turkey—and unpacks the unique stages of the masculine journey. From transitioning between the "sword and the staff" to honoring life's liminal spaces, this conversation offers inspiring clarity for men seeking purpose, wisdom, and connection on their path.
Know more about our cause: https://www.rucktheway.com/ (https://www.rucktheway.com/)
Subscribe to our Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@RucktheWay (https://www.youtube.com/@RucktheWay)
Meet the founders: https://www.rucktheway.com/about (https://www.rucktheway.com/about)
26 Oct 2026
#46: Ready, Break: Fred Hagberg on the Huddle, the Mirror, and Whose You Are
UPCOMING PILGRIMAGE: https://www.rucktheway.com/pilgrimage (https://www.rucktheway.com/pilgrimage)
ON THE TRAIL THIS EPISODE
Gabe met Fred Hagberg behind the coffee counter at a Thursday morning Christian business breakfast in Charlotte, right as Fred bear hugged a grown man clean off the ground. Turns out Fred had practice. He played defensive end on Steve Spurrier's 1996 University of Florida national championship team, spent time on NFL practice squads, played arena football, and laid the hits on Keanu Reeves's stunt double in The Replacements. After football he ran engineering companies, built subdivisions, and led the North American operations of a German engineering firm. Today he wins drag races with Bible verses on the car.
The story Fred came to tell sits underneath all of that. Two questions changed the direction of his life. The first came from a concussed teammate in a South Florida locker room: "Fred, you're a pretty smart guy. What are you doing here?" It ended his football career with two games left in the season. The second question Fred asked God from behind his desk on a Friday evening: "Is this what you want me to do?" By Monday morning he was in an emergency room hearing a cardiologist tell him to change his life or lose it. What came next was a long look in the mirror, a Bible, and three months that left his doctor asking, "What did you do?"
Gabe, Chris, and Fred talk about the power of the huddle and why you eventually have to break it, why men are drawn to danger and mission, the difference between nice and kind, and why the better question to ask a man is not "What do you do?" but "Whose are you?" Fred says this was only first gear. We believe him. Part two is coming.
19 Oct 2026
#44: Breaking the Chain: Ancestral Legacy, Biblical Blessing, and Human Choice
UPCOMING PILGRIMAGE:https://www.rucktheway.com/pilgrimage (https://www.rucktheway.com/pilgrimage)
In this episode, we explore how the stories and experiences of our ancestors ripple through generations to impact who we are today. From discussing professional story work to delving into the science of epigenetics, we examine how inherited family traits, historical trauma, and environmental influences leave their mark on us. We look through both cultural and biblical lenses—weighing the British class system against the American dream, alongside scripture from Exodus and Ezekiel—to unpack how generational blessing and curses play out. Ultimately, we discover how God’s grace continuously breaks into our lives, offering us the freedom to make conscious choices, heal past wounds, and pass forward a legacy of hope, beauty, and blessing to future generations.
Know more about our cause:https://www.rucktheway.com/ (https://www.rucktheway.com/)
Subscribe to our Podcast:https://www.youtube.com/@RucktheWay (https://www.youtube.com/@RucktheWay)
Meet the founders:https://www.rucktheway.com/about (https://www.rucktheway.com/about)
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
13 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
8 ratings
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