At just 13, Michael Parsons was released by Coventry City and told he wasn’t good enough. That rejection stayed with him—and ultimately inspired a mission to help athletes prepare for life beyond the game.

Michael joins the Made in Brum Podcast to explain why so many talented academy players are left without a clear direction when their football journey ends, and how Flair Elite is creating the safety net he believes sport desperately needs.

We discuss:

⚽ Michael’s experience of academy rejection
🧠 The emotional impact of being released
📉 Why so few academy players reach the professional game
🎓 Education, employment and life after football
📱 Flair Elite’s Skills Passport and career-matching platform
💼 Turning sporting experience into valuable workplace skills
🤝 Helping clubs support players through difficult transitions
🔵 Michael’s time behind the scenes at Coventry City

Flair Elite helps athletes recognise that they are more than just footballers—connecting their skills and experience with education, training and employment opportunities.

More than just a footballer.
Your skills. Your next chapter.

Discover Flair Elite: https://flairelite.app

Subscribe to Made in Brum for more honest conversations with the people shaping sport, business and Birmingham.

From competing on the Arnold Classic stage to finding himself in a wheelchair and having to learn to walk again, Brett Smith's story is one of determination, sacrifice and survival. 💪

This week on Made in Brum, we're joined by bodybuilder and coach Brett Smith, a man who has dedicated more than 35 years of his life to bodybuilding, competing in an incredible 87 shows along the way.

But behind the muscles, trophies and achievements lies a much bigger story.

Brett opens up about the highs and lows of his bodybuilding career, competing on some of the sport's biggest stages, the physical punishment his body has endured and the devastating period when serious health problems left him in a wheelchair.

He speaks candidly about undergoing multiple operations, battling depression, experiencing suicidal thoughts and the long road to recovery that saw him having to learn to walk again.

We also discuss:

💪 35 years in bodybuilding and 87 competitions

🏆 Competing at the Arnold Classic

🏋️ Old-school bodybuilding and Birmingham gym culture

💉 Performance-enhancing drugs and the realities of the sport

🩺 12 operations and the physical toll of bodybuilding

🦽 Going from training seven days a week to being in a wheelchair

❤️ Mental health, relationships and the people who supported him

🔥 Finding the determination to recover and keep moving forward

🎙️ How bodybuilding has changed and what Brett has learned along the way

It's an honest, emotional and at times funny conversation about a life dedicated to bodybuilding, the challenges Brett has faced and the strength it takes to keep going.

This is much more than a bodybuilding story.

⚠️ This episode includes discussions of depression and suicidal thoughts.

🎙️ MADE IN BRUM PODCAST

Real people. Real stories. Made in Brum.

🔗 Listen and follow us on all platforms:
https://linktr.ee/madeinbrum

👍 If you enjoyed the conversation, please LIKE, COMMENT and SUBSCRIBE for more stories from Birmingham and the Midlands.

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY OUR SPONSORS

⚡ HELL ENERGY DRINKS
https://hellukonline.co.uk/
Use code MIB15 for 15% off.

🎬 B9 Film & Media

#MadeInBrum #BrettSmith #Bodybuilding #Bodybuilder #ArnoldClassic