Interview with Recruit 9 - DJ

11 June 0201

Name: DJ

Recruit: 9

Age: 35

Profession: Salon Owner

Hometown: Bedford

DJ is currently in the middle of a divorce from his ex wife of 13 years.  After they split up, he went through, what he describes as a mid life crisis. He changed careers, giving up banking to open several children's hair salons. He also changed his image, getting fitter and tattooed and started having fun nights out, drinking for the first time. 

 

Well done, you made it to the final stage of the course. How does that feel?

It feels awesome to have made it that far, especially given that there were so many amazing recruits alongside me. 

Going into the course, this was my goal - to make it to interrogation. I believed anything else after that would be a bonus.

 

Why do you think you made it so far? 

I think having the support of my fellow recruits helped me get as far as I did. Having such awesome people to share the experience with helped a lot.  But overall I think it's a lot to do with my stubbornness not to give up. I said at the beginning that I hated being told what to do, which I found helped me as being told to hand in my number made me want to do the opposite.

 

At any point in the course, did you consider giving up?  What made you continue?

I certainly did. That the tunnel I went through in episode two was my worst enemy. What you don't actually see on the show is that it was approximately 20 meters long, so being stuck in there for that long and hardly being able to move, was horrendous. 

However, the thought of my kids knowing I had quit, kept motivating me to stay!

 

The last part of the course was the toughest and not many made it past that stage.  What made you keep going?

In a weird way ,even though the latter part of the course was more physically and mentally challenging, it was also probably the easier half for me, as I knew that time was on my side. Knowing that there were just days or hours remaining made it easier in a weird way.

 

What was the worst part of the course for you? Why?

The day after going through the tunnel for the first time was my lowest day of the course. It affected me so much that I was close to quitting.  But I didn’t!

 

What was the first thing you did after you left the course?

I got straight on the phone to my boys, then my girlfriend and then I read messages that my girlfriend had sent me every day, letting me know what she had done that day, so that I had something to look back on when I got out. 

Not to mention a video message from about 30 of my friends and family wishing me a happy birthday, as I "celebrated" my birthday whilst on the course. An amazing video to have received also organised by my girlfriend.

 

Describe your experience on SAS: Who Dares Wins? 

It was probably one of the best individual experiences of my life. This was a money can’t buy experience.  Whilst on the course, I thought I would never miss the course of the punishments.  However, once I got home, I missed being part of the course, quite severely. I missed the company and the friends and the whole experience.

 

Would you ever do it again?

Yes, I would.  If I could add a few necessities, and the ability to wash, I wouldn’t mind doing it again.  With that taken away from me I would too.

The things I got to do – abseiling down an oil rig, run face down a cliff, they’re things the ordinary person would not be able to say they’ve done.

 

What do you think you’ve learnt about yourself?

I need to open up a bit and not be so conscious of my fear of coming across arrogant. I should just be myself rather than try to come across as someone different.