Never Surrender

Never Surrender

Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation on Addict II Athlete follows athlete Brett Frew as he talks through years of relapse, identity loss, and the moment he finally decided to stop running from himself. Brett starts with his childhood in Washington, where BMX racing gave him a clear identity and community. State titles, long road trips with his parents and teammates – life made sense on two wheels.

But as high school brought cars, parties and new social pressures, the bike lost its shine and so did his sense of self. Casual weed and alcohol soon led to opiates, and Brett found the “ticket” that made him feel outgoing and confident, even as his life quietly stalled.

Coach Blu Robinson, a mental health therapist and addiction counsellor, walks him through multiple attempts at treatment – detox, short rehabs, court pressure, and the classic belief that 30 days would “fix” everything. Brett talks honestly about being “95% in”, flying under the radar, and treating rehab like a reset button rather than real change. The emotional turning point comes when his baby daughter is removed from the home because of ongoing use.

Brett describes that as “the worst day of my life”, the moment he realised his numbed feelings were still screaming that something had to change. From there, he chooses full honesty: owning his relapse, confronting Coach Blu about past hurts, and committing to show change rather than talk about it.

You’ll hear how he rebuilt trust with family, took pride in being recommended for a job by the team, and learned to manage mood swings and bipolar symptoms with awareness instead of denial. The episode speaks directly to anyone who’s tired of starting over, still trying to “fly under the radar”, and wondering if it’s worth giving recovery one more try. What if the next attempt is the one where you finally go all in?