Interview with Recruit 14 - Jamie
Category: Press Pack ArticleName: Jamie
Recruit: 14
Age: 41
Profession: Business Owner
Hometown: Rugeley, Staffs
Background
Jamie grew up in a small town in Staffordshire, where he always showed a talent for football, constantly excelling and becoming captain of every team he played. At a young age, Jamie was handpicked to play in a well-known team. However, from the ages of 11-13, Jamie suffered abuse at the hands of his football coach but didn’t tell anyone what he was going through.
In 2018, a famous footballer came forward to say that his football coach had sexually abused him when he was a child. When Jamie saw the interview, he recognised the football player and reached out to him on social media. The footballer encouraged him to come forward and tell his story to the police. By this point, Jamie had kept this secret locked up until his late 30s.
Since then, he has received counselling funded by the Football Association and now recognises what life can be without having to carry that burden around. Jamie now feels he has been set free and now runs his own successful fitness business.
Tell me about your experience on SAS: Who Dares Wins?
A truly brutal, yet brilliant once in a lifetime experience. It was an absolute privilege to be part of the show. It makes me immensely proud and humbled to have been chosen as recruit 14. Spending time with the DS, in the most intense and realistic setting was both petrifying and inspiring. I have always respected authority, but I see the special forces operators in a different league. Watching them negotiate some of the most physically challenging tasks I’ve ever done with consummate ease was nothing short of breath taking. The understanding that I now have regarding the level of intellect and mental agility that’s required to be the ‘thinking soldier’ again just blew me away.
My personal experience was physically more demanding that I’d have liked but this was down to injury while over training in preparation for the show. I think this contributed to me finding the whole experience more difficult than it could have been. I was having to work harder than usual to stay with the rest and that frustrated me. I did have to keep reminding myself that I am 41, carrying a lot of historical injuries and this gave me some kind of perspective. I managed this quite well and this allowed me to stay for as long as I did.
Did you find it difficult? Was it more difficult than you expected?
Having watched all the previous series I think I went in fairly well prepared with what to expect. I was able to consider different situations and how I would react and I dealt with the large tasks really well. I was able to control my emotions and deliver on the brief. What I didn’t prepare for and something that isn’t obvious when watching the show is all of the other factors that contribute to the hellish side of the experience. The constant cold, the wet clothes, not just the lack of sleep but even when you sleep, you’re alert and waiting for something to happen. You can never relax. Everything is done as a fast as you can, under pressure. You don’t want to put your team mates through any unnecessary beastings so you’re constantly paranoid that you’ve forgotten something, left it behind etc.
You experienced a chemical warfare attack as part of the series. This is the first time SAS: Who Dares Wins recruits have taken part in this type of task. How did you find that?
This was the most disgusting experience of my life. I had no idea what to expect but that first intake of gas was horrific! To then have to function and release a hostage, all while relying on my oppo, my god it was awful. Once out of the room and trying to rid my body of the toxic gas, I honestly thought I was going vomit my stomach out onto the floor. Gas is terrible, especially because you can’t see it!
Have you ever done anything like this before?
Like this, no.. nothing that is so physically and mentally draining over a period of days. I have challenged myself throughout my life in both physical and mental ways but this is on a different level.
What made you sign up?
I have always been intrigued by how I would fair in the most challenging environments. I do however have a huge fear of failure and lack of confidence in myself. This show, I knew would test me like nothing else and I watched all the previous series comparing myself to the other recruits. Having gone through a few years of professional help to deal with childhood trauma, I felt strong enough to apply. The show marked a significant moment in my life in that my story needed to be told and my inclusion in the show validated this but it also brought some level of closure to a long and difficult period of my life.
What training did you do in preparation for this course?
I always keep myself fit but in more recent years, I have kept things short and efficient, so I started to train more specifically for endurance. I then bought a weighted vest and started to increase my training but injured myself so in the weeks leading up to the show, I was very limited in what I could do and I genuinely didn’t know if I was going to last a day. I can’t believe I did what I did given the circumstances.
Now that you have this experience, would you like to join the real Special Forces?
I would love nothing more than to be a part of their brotherhood. At 41, I’m well passed that as an option. If I had my time again do I think I’d have what it takes? In truth I don’t know. Having had a little experience of their world, I’m not sure I would want to.
What was the best part of the series for you?
Spending time with the DS and being allowed into their world. Having an experience, no matter how brutal, it was like nothing I could have done anywhere else in the world.
What was the hardest part of the series for you?
No one thing I can say was the hardest part. It’s the accumulation of many factors that make the whole experience so challenging.
What is your biggest fear and has this experience helped you get over that fear?
Failing under pressure. During my time as professional footballer, I was put in a number of positions whereby I was under pressure to deliver. On every occasion I underperformed, and this eventually resulted in me changing my career at 21. This has stayed with me throughout my life and after processing it with professional therapists, is certainly due to childhood trauma. This show represented to me the perfect opportunity to exorcise those demons and it certainly allowed me to do that. Competing against your peer group while under immense pressure to perform by taking instruction from your superiors mirrored exactly my experiences as a pro footballer. On every occasion I delivered to a level that I’m happy with. I controlled my emotions and got the job done. This was huge for me.
You had to share all your space with women for the whole time you were there, including sleeping and toilets. How did you find that?
My approach to this course was as it is intended – Special Forces Selection. To me it is irrelevant what you are, what you identify as etc. It’s all about can you get the job done. Seeing anyone poo in front of you is strange, the fact some were women, no, it didn’t make a blind bit of difference. Getting naked in front of them and vice versa, no, we’re all in there for a common goal and that’s all that mattered.
Would you ever do it again?
When I left the show I said no I wouldn’t. But as time has passed, I’d love the chance again. I learned lots about myself throughout the process and what I know now, I’d love the chance to experience again to see if I could deal with it better.
What do you think you’ve learnt about yourself?
I can perform under the highest pressure. I don’t need to question whether I’m good enough or what others thing about me. I can be confident in my own skin and walk through life without the fear of rejection or acceptance.
Has being on the series changed your life in anyway?
It has played a huge part in allowing me to be at peace with myself. Being recruit 14 on the sixth series of SAS: Who Dares Wins can never be taken away from me. At 41 years of age, I pushed myself into the most challenging experiences, all while knowing it would be witnessed by the whole world. That I’m proud of and it brings closure to the most significantly challenging period of my life to date.