Podcast Summary: This Is Actually Happening

Episode 393 (Rebroadcast Ep277): What if you survived the Bosnian genocide?

Original Air Date: May 9, 2023
Rebroadcast Date: January 6, 2026
Host: Wit Misseldine
Featured Guest: Mirsad Solakovic

Overview

In this emotionally gripping episode, Mirsad Solakovic shares his firsthand account of surviving the Bosnian genocide as a child. His story encompasses the abrupt loss of innocence, the horrors of war, and the long journey toward healing, resilience, and hope. Told in his own voice, Mirsad explores the transformation from an idyllic childhood in a close-knit, multi-ethnic Bosnian village to the traumatic brutality of ethnic cleansing, torture, displacement, and, ultimately, rebuilding a life and purpose far from home. His journey is one of survival against staggering brutality and of finding meaning in tragedy by dedicating his life to bridging communities and healing through sports and youth mentorship.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Idyllic Childhood & Community (03:41 – 13:00)

• Mirsad describes growing up in Kozhrad, a small town in northwest Bosnia, under the Yugoslavian communist regime.
• The community was deeply interconnected: “I didn't raise you. The neighbors have raised you, the schoolteachers have raised you, the village has raised you.” (03:41, Mirsad)
• Religious and ethnic differences were not significant; names and traditions were intermixed and embraced.
• Daily life centered around farming, family, and community support: “We were brought up to look out for each other ... to help each other, to support each other, to die for each other.”

2. Outbreak of War & Loss of Innocence (13:00 – 22:00)

• The sudden arrival of war: Mirsad receives a motorbike for his good grades, but before he can ride it, air raid sirens signal the beginning of the conflict.
• Friends, neighbors, and even teachers quickly turn from protectors to threats as ethnic divisions are enforced overnight.
• The normalization of violence and terror: shelling, the smell of decaying bodies, looted homes, and wild animals feeding on human remains.
• Notable Quote: “All your neighbors turn into your worst enemies ... you become a victim of the vicious game of system of execution.” (around 17:30)

3. Direct Encounters with Brutality (22:00 – 34:00)

• Detailed accounts of witnessing and experiencing violence as a child, including:
  • The murder of his uncle and other villagers,
  • Seeing decapitated bodies and recognizing the destabilization of all adult authority and protection.
• Early moment of forced silence:
  • “If somebody comes and questions you, don't say anything. Any kind of information would be suicidal for everybody in the village.” (27:45)
  • Mirsad’s father: “It's better if they kill you than the whole village.” (29:00)
• Torture and execution threats: Mirsad is stripped, beaten, and tortured by armed soldiers, forced to hold live grenades.
• Memorable moment: The intervention of the eldest soldier, who saves him at the last second.
  • “I was squeezing [the grenades] so hard, at this point, I started sweating and crying, literally crying my eyes out ... And then the oldest soldier ... took the grenade ... I realized, sh*t, this was actually activated. I could have blown myself.” (approx. 33:00)

4. Displacement & Life in Camps (34:00 – 42:00)

• Transported to a “collection center” (his old school, now a concentration camp), where friends and teachers have become guards and oppressors.
• Witnessing and overhearing the rape of women, the separation of families, and the relentless degradation and deprivation.
• Ongoing torture: “They hit me across my face, across my neck, across my back and everywhere. The full room was full of smoke and there was blood spattered everywhere.” (42:00)
• Corruption and barter for safety: cigarettes as currency, the vulnerability of refugees at checkpoints.

5. Flight and Refugee Experience (42:00 – 52:00)

• Escape by lorry and then coach through dangerous routes, close calls with shelling.
• Entering Croatia as a refugee, the trauma of separation at border checkpoints (boys taken for military service), hiding from soldiers.
• The initial numbness and beginnings of PTSD.

6. Resettling in the UK & Lingering Trauma (52:00 – 58:00)

• Mirsad describes struggling with integration:
  • Mutism for three years (“completely muted from the age of 13 to 16”), severe PTSD manifesting in self-isolation and violence.
• Extreme bullying at school, countered by resilience:
  • “I've had two activated grenades in my hand and I kept quiet ... you think you're going to hurt me? Idiots.”
• Breakthrough Moment: Standing in front of the school assembly:
  • “I from Bosnia, no speak English. I don't like war, no guns, no fighting. I want peace.” (approx. 56:30)
  • This elicits tears and apologies, shifting the perception of his peers.

7. Transformation & Legacy (58:00 – End)

• Embraces weight training and sports (boxing, kickboxing) as avenues of healing and community.
• Co-founds Solak Gym in Bosnia, focusing on inclusion—youth of all backgrounds—using fitness as common ground:
• “Our mission statement is that we want everybody included, young, old, different race, different religion, everybody coming together. It’s a charitable organization.” (approx. 59:30)
• Finds healing in drama and teaching, returning to the school where he was bullied:
  • “I always had this connection with the kids. I could always go on their level and that makes me very proud. And that's my legacy.” (approx. 60:15)
• Ongoing struggle with PTSD and mental health, but a strong belief in resilience and hope.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the senselessness of war:
  “That becomes tragedy beyond people's comprehension. You cannot imagine it. Neighbour turns against neighbor, friend against friend, family against family, for what?” — Mirsad (02:57)
• On childhood lost:
  “As a child you observe that, and as a child you remember, and as a child, it affects you more and it kills you more.” — Mirsad (03:03)
• On survival and morality:
  “Those animals would be prepared to attack humans that became wild ... The dogs were eating human flesh.” — Mirsad (approx. 17:00)
• On silence and resistance:
  “I am not going to say anything.” — Mirsad (29:00)
• On breaking the cycle of hate:
  “While I’ve been through in life ... I would never want to bully anyone.” — Mirsad (approx. 58:45)
• On resilience and purpose:
  “All that bad energy, all that life experience, there's a massive bag in it, and it’s still there ... but I always get tested because I live with PTSD. ... And that’s my main motto in life, to help more disadvantaged people, to help small communities. And the kids are my heroes, the kids are my future.” — Mirsad (60:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Idyllic Childhood in Yugoslavia: 03:41 – 13:00
• Sudden Arrival of War: 13:00 – 17:30
• Neighborhood Betrayal & Violence: 17:30 – 22:00
• First Encounters of War’s Brutality: 22:00 – 29:00
• Torture and Survival: 29:00 – 34:00
• Concentration Camp Experience: 34:00 – 42:00
• Journey as a Refugee: 42:00 – 52:00
• Resettlement in the UK & School Trauma: 52:00 – 58:00
• Healing, Advocacy, and Legacy: 58:00 – End

Tone and Language

Mirsad speaks with clarity, rawness, and humility. The episode moves between vivid, traumatic memories and a cautious but determined hope. His narrative voice is grounded in personal experience—heartbreaking, but ultimately focused on reconciliation, healing, and service.

Conclusion

This episode is a powerful reminder of the impact of war on individuals and communities. Mirsad Solakovic’s story is one of survival, unthinkable trauma, and rare courage—the journey of finding meaning in relentless adversity and working toward healing, both personally and for others. His efforts to unite youth and overcome division—through sports, teaching, and storytelling—offer hope for breaking cycles of violence and building new legacies.

For more about Mirsad and to support his ongoing work in Bosnia through the Solak Gym, listeners can visit Solak Gym on Instagram @solakgym and consider donating via Paypal at solakgym@hotmail.com.