Meet The Recruits - Series 8

19 January 2023

 

 

NAME: Amelia
RECRUIT NUMBER: 1
AGE: 28
GENDER: Female
FROM: London
OCCUPATION: Software Account Executive
MARITAL STATUS: In a relationship
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: I used to Swim competitively until my early 20s

Amelia is a software account executive who describes herself as loud, bubbly, chaotic, excitable and positive. Up until the age of 18, Amelia used to compete across the UK in swimming competitions. She was later bullied at school for having big muscles and was called ‘Popeye’. This left Amelia with severe confidence issues which were made worse by the traumatic breakdown of a long-term relationship. Amelia now realises the break-up was the best thing that ever happened to her - she cares about herself now more than ever, rather than living for someone else. She wants to go on the course to prove the negative voices in her head are wrong once and for all.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
Because I didn’t think I could do it. I have an inner narrative that tells me I’m not good enough, I’m going to fail, I’m not strong or capable and wouldn’t be able to do it. This is a narrative that weighs heavily on me in everyday life so I thought if I could do this I would be able to show myself that I can do anything and quieten or re-write that negative inner dialogue.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
More confidence and faith in myself. Closure from some of my past demons, an opportunity to put that chapter of my life to bed. To prove that so many of the things that, that person in that chapter told me about myself. And the lack of confidence and belief in myself that came as a result, isn’t real. I wanted to come out feeling strong and capable in an authentic, deeper way.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
It was completely different to anything I could have imagined. It did more to heal me than I could have hoped for by tearing me open completely and forcing me to really face the mental battle I’d been dealing with.

I hadn’t expected the mental aspect to be so testing. I thought it was just going to be the physical challenges that I found hard but mentally, the whole experience is taxing and teaches you how much you can cope with.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
I realised just how much of my life I was controlling in order to feel safe and to be able to trust myself that I wouldn’t go back to the dark place I had been in that resulted in me nearly taking my life. The hardest thing for me about the experience was having every element of control taken away from me. I hadn’t expected this and it made me realise that I was masking a lot of my pain still by trying to control every element of my life, including not opening myself up emotionally to people or letting myself make connections because that would make me vulnerable. I didn’t realise before the show the extent to which I was doing that.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
Yes I think I did. Before the show I wasn’t able to open myself up emotionally. I had started dating a guy before I went on the course and nearly left him multiple times because I couldn’t cope with the fear the lack of control gave me. Since the show, being forced to give up control, make myself vulnerable and also have Chris and Foxy verbally say that they could see I was physically exhausting myself with the mental strain I was putting myself under by being so scared and tormenting myself, really made me face those issues once I left. I’ve now been with my boyfriend 6 months and have completely given into not having control over everything and trusting someone else to not break me to the point that I go back to the dark place I was in before.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
I continued doing a lot of crossfit training. I did a lot of weighted runs. My now boyfriend who I was dating at the time of training is ex-army, so he gave me a weighted run schedule, he took me on a yomp for 3 hours with 15kg on my back then upped it to 20 for the last 30 mins, he took on a ‘military/DS’ role to see how I dealt with that mentally. He also took me to the gym and did sessions where I didn’t know what was coming next so I couldn’t break it down.

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
I was most nervous about the weighted runs and I was right, they were the worst for me. I only weighed about 57kg on the show. I think I was the lightest and second shortest recruit and we kept reweighing the bags when wet and at times they weighed between 25-30kg, so half my body weight, which was insanely difficult to run with and keep up with everyone.

Overall the course was far harder than I had anticipated. Not physically, as I knew that would be bad, but more mentally. I didn’t anticipate the strain of lack of sleep, reduced meals, being on edge not knowing when or what you’d be called to do next.

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
Definitely the weighted runs, particularly on the day of the waterfall. It was a long run to the bottom of the waterfall with the bergens. We were told it was 100% humidity and about 38 degrees and we were in full kit. I struggled through that and then as soon as we put the bags down, we had to run up to the waterfall and were beasted the whole way. I didn’t want to not do the waterfall after I’d managed to get up the hill but it was so hard to push past.

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
Physical was hard but it was the mental that was the worst for me, especially after my mirror room brought my past up, followed straight after by a beasting.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
I really struggled with it. Nothing could have prepared me for that. I don’t think I coped very well with it, I struggle with heat anyway, even on holidays I just want to be in water when it’s that hot, so honestly when we got told to get in swamps and rivers it was a relief. Being in full kit with weighted bags in the glaring sun was horrific.

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
Yes, I think Chris and Foxy had the biggest impact on me. They both gave me so many home truths which I needed. Chris said to me at the top of the waterfall ‘you were a competitive swimmer, I expected more from you’ and that lit a fire in me to push through the pain and sickness I was feeling and get down the waterfall. I don’t know if I’d have been able to push through without his beration/encouragement and getting past that and getting down the waterfall is one of the things I’m most proud of.

I think Foxy had the biggest impact. When I was annoyed with myself for failing the heights challenge, he reminded me that I’d faced something that was an absolutely huge fear for me and that I should be proud of that. That was just a way of looking at myself, which is the opposite of what I usually do.

He also told me he could see I was exhausting myself by tearing myself apart. That is probably what broke me the most – realising that others can visually see what I thought about myself and what I was doing to myself internally. Whilst I may not have been able to change that on the show it’s something that has shaped my life ever since.

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
Yes and no. I was surprised Rudy was no longer the Chief Instructor, just because he was before but actually Billy leading makes total sense.

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
Billy - That everything the DS do has a purpose. The shouting, name calling, hard conditions they put you in seem so harsh but actually looking at every action and decision the DS make is all done with kindness. To keep you safe, to make you better and stronger and to make you part of something bigger, as a team, not an individual. Every decision Billy makes was brought from a place of incredible experience and kindness.

Rudy – That the DS really care about your success, they don’t want you to fail. Rudy was always there with firm but kind words of encouragement. No drama but reality checks, when I was crying after I failed the first task, he told me to stop crying and helped me take back control and perspective. He also kept encouraging me for about 15 minutes before I handed my armband in, I truly believe he didn’t want me to give up on myself.

Foxy – Foxy is the one that held up the mirror most for me. It hurt but it was needed. Foxy really gave me a reality check of how I’m my own worst enemy and holding myself back.

Chris – reminded me of who I am, what I’ve done and what I’m capable of. I think I look at myself very negatively and he held up a mirror to show me my achievements when I needed it most. Without him I wouldn’t have been able to push through some of my darkest points.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
Yes, all of them. We’re in touch regularly. I think I’d say I was closest to both Grant and Scott. Scott and I got each other through a lot, we both really missed home and our partners and spent a lot of time daydreaming about home together. That got us through a lot.

Grant also changed a lot for me because he wouldn’t let me just go into myself when I was struggling. When I came back from my mirror room and was mentally a bit broken, I just shut myself off and go into myself. I went to lay on my bed and put the pillow over my head but Grant wouldn’t let me. I can vividly remember him saying ‘no don’t do that’ and he got me to open up and process.

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
Getting so broken that I go back to a place where I could take my own life. That night’s never left me and nor has the feeling of relief I felt when I decided to do it. That feeling is the thing I fear the most, not because I was scared that I’d decided to take my own life but because I was relieved.

I think there is a part of me that is still scared of that but I think I have come a long long way from that. I think I am better at opening up and making myself vulnerable and I don’t carry the pain I used to. The show has healed me more than I could have imagined.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
My boyfriend, even though we hadn’t been together that long before I went in.

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
I called my boyfriend and ate about six snickers, before having a really, really hot soapy shower and getting into clean bedsheets, which was utter bliss!!

What’s the first food you ate?
Snickers! Then the next day we ate all the Vietnamese food we could (which wasn’t a lot, as our appetites had shrunk!) but it was magic.

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
Life changing, healing and empowering. It was the best time of my life and has changed it forever. It was a once in a life time trip to the most beautiful country with some incredibly inspiring people, who changed my entire outlook on life and myself

Would you ever do it again?
100000% There’s not much I wouldn’t give to have the experience again. It was life changing and I feel so incredibly lucky to have had the chance. Knowing what I know now, having done the healing that I have and also having changed my training a lot since the show I would love to see what I’d be capable of achieving on the show if I did it again.

 

 

 

 

NAME: Grant
RECRUIT NUMBER: 2
AGE: 37
GENDER: Male
FROM: Edinburgh
OCCUPATION: Bin Man
MARITAL STATUS: Engaged

Grant lives in Edinburgh with his Fiancé and his two dogs Lola and Lucky. Grant has an eclectic employment history, having worked as a fitness instructor on cruise ships and hotels across Europe for 7-8 years. He now works in waste disposal and calls himself a ‘Ninja Binman’.

Grant had a tough time growing up and was bullied at school because he had an interest in performing arts. He also had trouble concentrating and put it down to just being a bit stupid. Throughout his life, Grant has struggled with his mental health and has suffered from extreme highs, lows and regular emotional outbursts. Last year, after a dark spell, Grant was diagnosed with ADHD after his mum suggested that he speak to a professional about it. After getting the diagnosis, Grant felt relief that he could understand why he has acted a certain way in his life but also frustration because he wishes he was diagnosed, while in school.
Grant sees taking part in SAS as a chance for rebirth after learning about his diagnosis. He admires the DS and hopes to learn from them.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins? As person with ADHD, diagnosed at 35 years old, I now realise why I found myself in a cycle of shame. Shame for things I have said, or maybe done before reading the room the way a neurotypical person might. Or shame simply from a childhood drama that still haunts me today. I wanted to demonstrate to myself that a number of difficulties I faced could be overcome in an incredibly unnerving and physically challenging environment.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
To highlight that it’s not the case that I can’t do things, but more that I am able to take on the challenges the DS gave us, but possibly in a different way to the neurotypical person. For example, memory retention is something I find difficult, so adults like myself have to adapt by using learning strategies. There were a couple of tasks, especially the more mental tasks, where this happened.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
It absolutely met my expectations and more. What was different was not being able to manage my emotions like I do in every day life. The unknown is something I had to accept and accepting that I didn’t know when the task would end and when the DS would throw a spanner in the works. What I did expect was to see people expose their most vulnerable side and let their emotions lead them, dictating whether they stayed or not.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
I learnt not to compare myself to others and not to judge a book by its cover. I also learnt that I’m not the biggest person, in fact I’m a wee guy and that doesn’t matter. I have a condition and a number of the problems, which, in normal life, I played to my advantage. I’m all or nothing. They asked for 100%, I gave them that.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
Yes. I understand that I have to work harder at things. One of my demons is low self-esteem. In the past I would just think I’m not good enough but on the course I just accepted everything and continued to do what was asked with 100% effort. By showing a willingness to try improve myself helped massively.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
Yes the core part of my training was endurance. I walk up to twelve miles a day at work 5 days a week and I would get up at 4am and run with my dog too. I also took part in a local boot camp 5 days a week after work doing cross training etc.

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
The uncertainty was awful. Early on, I would if each day was the day I’d be out. But Billy said something that stuck with me: “always be ready to go again” and that got me pumped up and made me feel like I didn’t want to let the other recruits or DS down. I fed off knowing I was part of something bigger than all of us, so I didn’t take it for granted. I really wanted to be there.

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
I found having to learn information in a short period of time very challenging but I learnt that being thrown in at the deep end and dealing with a task as it happened, worked best for me.

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
Mental...the little voice in my head once or twice said “what the feck are you doing?” Physically I had to accept it was going to hurt and took one step at a time knowing, it would end.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
Well i decided to train for cold and hot. I would often wear a sauna suit under my protective gear at work. I also would sit in the sauna at a local gym for a 40 minutes, building up my tolerance to the heat. The thing that had people miserable was wearing wet kit and boots, jungle rot or trench foot and the climate was a breeding ground for leaches etc who loved to suck on your flesh..

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
All the directing staff were incredible. I loved Rudy. He was so unapologetically himself. He knew himself and has such a genuine belief in himself and such endless respect for the other DS. Chris, I thought, was a great example of not judging a book by its cover. He was the real deal!

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
I felt the new line up created a very new feel. DS Chris was a so unexpected and when we arrived he let us know not to mess with him. Chris was like a lad you might see at your local high street and then bam, when he demonstrated certain tasks, or even spoke, I was like WTF!

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
Foxy had told me the SAS have a reputation to uphold, so regardless of your challenges you better find a way to get round it. He could have binned me but he was making the point that if I don’t want to be there, I should find a way and not make excuses, so I did..

Billy was phenomenal. He said that just because a person looks or acts a certain way, doesn’t mean they have what it takes. And he repeated reminded us that we either want to be there or we don’t. To me that is life - he was saying we have to take charge of our own head and that action was better than talking the talk.

Rudy called me the muscle hamster. His aura and advice before tasks were all relatable to his life experience. I felt like he was leading us to battle but he made me feel like I would stand shoulder to shoulder with him in any situation. He was a prime example of a leader.

Chris was somebody that I really looked up to. From him, I learnt not to doubt myself. He made it clear that everything was being observed and he picked up on everything I was thinking. He taught me not to become complacent, because complacency can get people into bother.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
Yes. Faye was incredibly supportive of me and very patient with me. She would teach me to memorise things in a way I never learnt.

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
I would say my biggest fear was failing. Now that’s no longer the case, I will always get up and try again...

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
I missed my feet! I’ll never take them for granted again!

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
Sat in a chair thinking I would do it all again...knowing I had just done something that only few get to do.

What’s the first food you ate?
I ate a tub of pringles and inhaled a litre of cola!

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
A rebirth. For 35 years I just thought I was an odd egg who would accept what life hands him but I reckon I just handed my old self its ass!

Would you change anything about your time on the course?
Nothing!

Would you ever do it again?
Yes ...tell me when and where and I’ll get ready to go again!

 

 

 

 

NAME: Joshua
RECRUIT NUMBER: 3
AGE: 24
GENDER: Male
FROM: Ilford
OCCUPATION: Professional Boxer
MARITAL STATUS: Single
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: I love cereal

Joshua is an up-and-coming professional boxer. He grew up in East London with his mother, two older brothers and one older sister. His father wasn’t around much.

Joshua says he grew up in a neighbourhood where “the weak get eaten”. He became involved in crime and was charged with possession of an offensive weapon before discovering boxing at the age of 16 and turning his life around. He now has a young family and a promising career as a super-welterweight.

Joshua says he is still battling the temptations of his youth, and as a result can come across as very reserved at first, but opens up once he gets to know the other people in his company. Joshua claims he always thought showing emotion was a weakness but now realises it’s good to talk and wants to get rid of his demons.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
To see if I had what it takes to push myself beyond my physical capabilities and also to mentally challenge myself and see how I would react in extreme conditions.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
A fresh outlook on life and build my self-confidence. Also to see how I would react in certain situations and how I would deal with the challenges presented to me.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
It surpassed my expectations. The whole experience was unbelievable. I’ve taken many things away from the experience, such as learning to be comfortable when things are uncomfortable. Being beasted and shouted at was expected but when you are there live in the flesh under extreme pressure and crazy climates, it’s a completely different mental and physical ball game. I don’t think any amount of training could’ve prepared me for the course although some military training techniques I done before helped me a bit.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
That majority of things in life come down to your mindset and how you view a situation. Also that it’s good to get outside my comfort zone, experience new things, meet new people and face my fears head on.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
I suppose so, there were some things I kept quiet, like I thought I feared heights, but I learned from the course that I don’t. Also, that when I feel like giving in, I can dig even deeper to make sure I see it through even though I feel like I have nothing left to give

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
Yeah, my boxing coach was a former Marine, so he made sure I was mentally prepared for all the mind games waiting for me. Also I did a lot of strength and conditioning training and he took me for an hour long beasting with a 40lb Burgan to give me a taster of what was to come. A lot of pull ups, press ups and running with the 40lb Burgan.

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
The thought of interrogation worried me the most – purely because of the 12 hour stress positions.

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
Anything swimming related, and being away from my family.

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
Mental

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
Definitely made things much harder, I wasn’t prepared for how humid it was

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
All the DS were inspiring in their own each individual way, just knowing that they’d been through what we was experiencing and more, was motivational in itself. It was really an honour to meet them and be able to soak up their life experience and knowledge and study and learn from them. The 4 of them are literally 4 real life super heroes.

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
Not really, I wasn’t focused on that.

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
Foxy – his calmness and leadership skill
Billy – his overall life experience, grittiness and determination
Rudy – his charisma and enthusiasm in any giving situation
Chris – leadership skills, fitness and drive

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
I had a good relationship with Hillary and Levi

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
That I don’t fulfil my potential in life.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
My family and food.

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
Call my family and eat.

What’s the first food you ate?
I ate Burger King in the airport.

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
Unbelievable, once in a lifetime experience that money cannot buy. One of, if not my greatest personal achievement to date.

Would you change anything about your time on the course?
I would have been more open a bit earlier on in the course and come out of my shell.

Would you ever do it again?
No, once will do

 

 

 

 

NAME: Hilary (Hils)
RECRUIT NUMBER: 4
AGE: 31
GENDER: Female
FROM: Barnet
OCCUPATION: Personal Trainer
MARITAL STATUS: Single
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: I love to dance salsa and I love to fight (boxing)

Hilary lives in North London with her 2-year-old daughter and works as a HIIT, boxing and kettlebell instructor and PT.

Hilary grew up in a traditional Columbian family and says walking into her mum’s house was like walking into Cali. She competed in athletics when she was younger and later moved into body building and white-collar boxing.

When Hilary was 4 months pregnant, her relationship with her partner broke down. She left him and fell into pre and post-natal depression. Hilary was eventually able to pull herself out of the depression and two years later is proud to be a single mum to a beautiful daughter and is in the best shape of her life. She wants to join the course to show that she is so much more than just a single mum.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
I decided to take part because after a few life situations I went through. I went on a self-development journey, to become the best version of myself and to not let my past experiences define me anymore. I saw SAS as something that would push me and connect me with my true self, by facing fears, finding limits and pushing through barriers.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
I hoped to find a new, bigger and better me, in order to set new higher goals in life, pass wisdom on to people, and raise my daughter with the best set of values and wisdom I can pass onto her.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
It over exceeded my expectations. I didn’t think it would affect me (in a good way) as much as it did. It is by far one of the toughest things I have ever done that has built me into a different person. I think what is different is actually experiencing these things in real life instead of just sitting comfortably at home watching it. It is so much more then you see. I was expecting it to be tough but not as tough as it was. I feel it hit all my senses physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally both high and low, which is what makes you find your true self and see what you’re really made off.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
I learnt to live in the moment. I was always the kind of person to plan things and know exactly what was happening. On the course, I never knew what was going to hit or when or where, which put me on edge a lot at the beginning, but afterwards I learnt to just let things happen, whilst still being calm and not procrastinate, overthink or be impatient. I also learnt that I am so so so capable of so many things, which I thought I wasn’t. From seeing the challenges at first and thinking “I don’t think I can do this” to just going for it, was a massive one for me. I underestimate myself so much, and this opened my eyes to bigger things.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
I believe so, I have always been afraid of failure or afraid of being put in vulnerable situations because of how it makes me feel weak and low. These things were definitely tackled.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
I did a lot of HIIT, boxing and running, as well as some swimming. I also started doing a lot of mediation to help me relax and keep calm, as sometimes I can get too nervous and anxious.

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
I was most nervous about all the parts that involved water as I previously drowned at 16, and I made myself learn to swim. I do know how to swim but I am not a strong swimmer. To my surprise it really was not as bad as I expected, I actually didn’t even mind getting in the water by the end of it.

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
Mental, the mind is where everything happens, even when its physical. The mind has to work to make you do the physical. Even when I wanted to give up on the physical, I always had to stay mentally strong to make the mind think you can do it (even though you don’t know you can) in order to complete any physical challenges.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
I was SO not prepared - it was horrendous. I was scared to dehydrate as I was constantly sweating, even through the night. I had heat rashes that were painfully itchy, foot rot where my feet's skin would come off because they were always wet. All we could do is use the first aid they gave us, like Vaseline, powder and tape to keep us going.

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
It was funny because all the staff were so serious and look at you giving no facial expressions. But when I finished they were all so lovely and we got to see their personalities.

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
Just the new addition to the DS, which was Chris. But I was surprised in a good way as he was great!

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
Rudy – Always find the positive in what you are doing whether it’s the hardest, most horrible thing you have to do

Billy – Its OK to laugh a little while still doing hardcore shit!

Chris – He was the kindest out of all of them but still tough. He showed you can really push people hard without having to treat them harsh

Foxy – use your common sense for most things you do

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
The close bonds I feel I had were with Josh and Aliyah. I don’t know why they were my safe people to go to, like I felt comfortable and good around them and admired them even though I never really knew their story beforehand.

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
My biggest fear was thinking I would go back to that dark place I was once in. Doing this has showed me that no, that is not the case and will never be the case. I surpassed a very big thing in my life and I feel that if I have gone through what I went through before, and SAS, I can get through anything.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
The food!

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
I had a nice long shower! Omg the best feeling ever! Then I ate a real meal and went straight to sleep!

What’s the first food you ate?
Chips, veg spring rolls, fruits, coconut water, noodles.

Would you change anything about your time on the course?
No. Everything I lived was me being me, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Would you ever do it again?
Nope! It was an experience I feel I only needed once. It’s too tough. Just the thought of doing it again makes me feel nauseas!

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
My whole experience is an unforgettable one. I went through so so many thoughts, emotions and feelings that I had not felt before but that were positive for me in the long run, even the tough times. I feel like just before going on the show I was nervous and sometimes self-doubting but I was very excited and ready to go. The first few days I was actually there I found it so tough, tough to adapt in general and all the challenges were already draining. I felt like giving up and felt that I would not make it further. Then I started enjoying it a little more and started getting into the wave of things.

But regardless of everything, there was always 1 thing, the mental thought of having to complete something, that mindset of mental toughness that was always there. And somehow I would get it done, and that was the beauty of the whole experience for me, that the mind is so powerful beyond what you expect.

 

 

 

 

 

NAME: Becky
RECRUIT NUMBER: 5
AGE: 35
GENDER: Female
FROM: Basildon, Essex
OCCUPATION: Housewife/ Mother
MARITAL STATUS: Partner of 16 years
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: I’m actually a qualified hairdresser, I also am in the middle of becoming a PT, I’m an absolute obsessive cleaner and love it, I have a fiery temper but am also nice and have so much love for people.

Becky is a stay-at-home mum and lives with her husband and son. Growing up, Becky never felt she was particularly good at anything, and that her true calling was to be a mum. When her son was 2 years old, Becky gave birth to a baby daughter, called Darcey.  When Darcey was two and a half years old, she became unwell and couldn’t keep any food down. Becky went to her GP, and it was put down to gastro-enteritis. It wasn’t until Darcey started walking in an unusual way that Becky’s rushed her to A&E, and she was diagnosed with a brain tumour

After surgery and several attempts to save her life, Darcey passed away 3 weeks later. Becky’s son is the reason she gets out of bed in the morning, and Becky wants to prove that she can motivate herself through something without her son.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
Good question. I actually got covid, was quarantined and binge watched the last series. I decided I could do that and on a whim, applied. I actually really needed it, to do something for myself and only me.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it and start something and have a determination to stick at it.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
It was sooooo much harder than anyone can ever imagine.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
That I have more patience than I ever thought imaginable. That life needs to be embraced more and that there are people who hurt as hard as me for all different reason and that sharing it can give you peace.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course?
I don’t think I rid myself of any but I 100% felt comfort from facing stuff I had hid away for a long time!

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
Yeah I trained hard, running around Basildon for hours in my army boots, getting the strangest looks in the height of summer sweating. I added swimming to my training, which I love now and still do and I still run…minus the boots!!!

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
I wasn’t really nervous about anything apart from the toilet situation and being half naked on TV, which didn’t improve..and I didn’t poo the whole time I was there!

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
The bloody shooting. Omg, that was the worst thing ever. I just cried, it was so surreal!

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
Both!

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate? It was soooo humid. The heat I can cope with. I really didn’t want to go somewhere cold but the humidity was intense, so exhausting and when I got home and got back to the gym, I didn’t sweat for ages. I think my body just didn’t have any left. We all stank and were just sweaty messes 24/7.

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
I love Foxy - he’s so funny and has empathy. I really liked him. Rudy - his voice is just insane and the way he walks, he should do catwalk modelling He also models a rifle with style. Billy is scary as fuck. He really is a great guy but I hear his voice and my inner child shits itself, like I’m being told off by my dad!

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
Chris! Great addition, the guy’s a legend. Also Rudy’s trim new look - I didn’t recognise him until he spoke.

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
I learn loads from them and the experience, especially that I shouldn’t beat myself up as much as I do about not being able to do stuff. It’s OK to fuck up sometimes but I still haven’t fully embraced that yet.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
Yes! They’re my family for life!!!! We are sooo close - we talk every day. It’s a bond that you can’t explain unless you experience it yourself!

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
My son is my biggest fear and achievement. The fear of something happening to him - I’m still scared of that. But I’m less anxious about him doing stuff now and I want him to enjoy life and do daring things with me now, whereas before I would have a heart attack over it.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
My family and friends.

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
Rang my family and then washed and brushed my hair for HOURS! That was the best!!!!

What’s the first food you ate?
Me and Levi had dinner together and ordered 2 mains each and wine and ate the lot. I had steak and chips and also a carbonara! Then I ate all the chocolate snacks I had in my room! When I got home I ate Five Guys as I was craving it the whole time I was there - it was amazing!

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
Fucking Insane! I loved it every part but it was also soooo hard!!!

Would you ever do it again?
Yes!!!! 100000000000% sign me up!

 

 

 

 

NAME: Stevie
RECRUIT NUMBER: 6
AGE: 38
GENDER: Male
FROM: Swansea Wales
OCCUPATION: Professional wrestler
MARITAL STATUS: Single
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: I wrestled WWE Superstar Roman Reigns on WWE TV

Stevie is a professional wrestler who goes by the stage name of Steve Starr. He’s been wrestling for 14 years and was once signed to the WWE in America. He has recently performed as a stunt man in a marvel film and hopes to do more stunt work. When he’s not in the ring doing body slams and choke holds, Stevie can be found working as a doorman in a cocktail bar.

Stevie grew up in Swansea and lives with his dad. His parents split up when Stevie was a child, and he hasn’t spoken to his Mum for 18 years.
Although Stevie adopts a loud outgoing persona when wrestling, he’s actually a shy person, something he partly attributes to his parents’ divorce. Stevie says it's easier to go into the ring and be Stevie Starr than to be his true self in real life. Stevie wants to take on the course to try and gain more self-confidence.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
I wanted to test myself in situations completely out of my comfort zone, I’m a bit stuck in my ways so wanted to prove to myself I could take on new challenges and not chicken out.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
I wanted to leave there with pride about how I did and all I accomplished, and to try my best at every task. I’ve always struggled with self-confidence, so to come away after facing my fears in a situation with 20 strangers would be a big accomplishment for me. So coming away with a new self-belief was the most important to me.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
It exceeded my expectations, the sights, the settings, the tasks, the camp, the DS, all were incredible. The living conditions were harder than I envisaged, as well as constantly feeling on edge wondering when I’d be called for another task. I expected spectacular scenery but all the set ups from the river boats, the temple, the high beams, the massive water fall, they all blew my mind and that’s something I’ll never forget.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
I learnt that I am capable of overcoming my fears, that I can exist with 20 strangers in a small living space. I learnt I’m mentally stronger than I thought and that made me so proud. Most importantly I learnt that me just being myself is more than good enough.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
I’ve never really been a good swimmer. I only really swam in school 25 years ago and wasn’t very good then. I pretty much had to learn from scratch before going to Vietnam, with help from my triathlon friend at my local pool. I managed to learn the basics in a short time before I left but was still not comfortable in water, especially being submerged, or without being able to touch the floor. So the very first thing we did on day 1 was a 50 meter swim from the boat to the shore with clothes on in an unknown body of water. I’ve never used so much effort in my life and was so happy and proud when I managed to get to the shore. I had no energy in my body or muscles left after using so much effort. On day 2 we had another swim at base camp and I was really struggling and panicking and not moving.

Luckily 2 of the other recruits helped me get down the river and I was so grateful for their help. I don’t know if it helped with my fear of water or made it worse though. Also on day 1, we had to crawl through an underground pipe. I hate tight enclosed spaces ever since watching an 80s film about a young boy stuck in a pipe in his back garden. So getting through that was really tough to overcome my fear. Halfway through, I thought they’d have to dig me out if I stopped so that motivation kept me moving forward to complete it.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
I did a lot of jogging , sprinting, weight training, boxing, swimming, long walks with a rucksack. I haven’t done much cardio in about 10 years as I’ve been focusing on weight training, so I had to work hard at the cardio side to try and catch up with the other guys, which was tough going being 19 stone.

What part of the course were you most nervous about before taking part? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
I was most nervous about the swimming and was so glad when it was over. I was surprisingly calm before the waterfall abseiling but while I was doing it, I was very nervous and felt lost and vulnerable.

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
The swimming and the waterfall abseiling were the hardest. Being a poor swimmer, every stroke was draining me. And the abseiling is something I’ve never done before. I really found myself in trouble a few times on the way down. I also struggled with the food. I’m a really fussy eater anyway. On the first day, with the swim, I swallowed a lot of water and it really upsets my stomach and I struggled eating more than a few mouthfuls each meal. And that kept me up all night as well going to the toilet about 7 times a night!

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
I think they were both equally as challenging. The physical tasks were very extreme, and the mental struggles, like not knowing what’s coming next or when we’re through.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
I’m normally a guy who hates hot weather, so heat has always been something I’d avoid. I wasn’t so bad and was fine with the heat once we got into the course.

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
The first impressions of the staff are very intimidating. They were ruthless and would not let you off the hook or feel sorry for you. I’d fall towards the back in the beastings and they would be constantly on my back shouting at me, which I was completely expecting them to do as we are in their world and they want to show us how hard this is. Other times, like in the mirror room, or before tasks, they would speak to me on a normal level and try and find out a bit more about me. They were really kind and supportive of my story and it really meant a lot. It really helped that they let their guard down and had moments where they had a joke around with you. They were some of my favourite moments in camp. It’s hard not to be inspired by these people with what they have done. I particularly had some nice moments with Rudy, as he was a wrestling fan. But really I liked all the staff, even Billy who’s a bit scary during the course, he came and had a nice chat when I left.

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
Not surprised, it was as I expected, apart from Chris who was new and was great to me with the odd nice comment here and there.

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
I think I learned just to take each hurdle as it comes and to try not to look too far ahead. Always push yourself because you’ve got more left than you think. And from Billy, I learnt to focus on the task at hand and not to over think it, just focus on what I need to do to complete it.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
I think I got on well with all the recruits, particularly Jamie, Zac, Faye, and Amelia. I don’t think I made any special bonds as I think it takes me a while to come out of my shell around strangers but I have a lot of love for everyone there and will never forget what we all went through together.

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
I still think water is my biggest fear but I’m glad I’ve learnt more skills, so now know that I wouldn’t just drown - I could survive……hopefully.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
I like my own creature comforts, like just chilling in my house watching TV and films. I’m a bit of a hermit at times and like my own space, so was nice to have that when I got back. And I’m such a fussy eater - I’m like a fussy 5 year old so really struggled with the Vietnam food, so it was nice to get back to pizza and chips.

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
First thing I did was gave a big hug to the producer, then I ate the nicest tasting M&Ms I’ve ever had. Eventually I took my disgusting dirty clothes off, lay face first on the bed and burst out crying. They weren’t sad tears though - it just takes its toll on you and makes you an emotional wreck.

What’s the first food you ate?
First food I ate were 2 packs of M&Ms and then lobster Pringles, which I’ve never had before but they were absolutely lush. My first meal was breakfast in the morning with some pain au chocolats!

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
It was a once In a lifetime experience that I will never ever forget. I’m so lucky I got to be a part of it – it was one of the best times of my life and I took away so many positive memories.

Would you change anything about your time on the course?
I wish I had used bigger boots. My feet were in agony and I wish I knew to get a size up!

Would you ever do it again?
I would definitely do it again if the opportunity arose, and having more knowledge, I could prepare better and train a different way that would be more suited to the course…….and have more time to improve my swimming.

 

 

 

 

NAME: Faye
RECRUIT NUMBER: 7
AGE: 43
GENDER: Female
FROM: Leeds
OCCUPATION: Visiting Professor/Director of Operations
MARITAL STATUS: Married

 

Faye lives at home with her husband and two sons in Leeds, she grew up in an extremely turbulent family involving alcoholism and physical abuse. Faye was eventually taken into care at the age of 9 and over the course of the following two years she was moved between 50 different emergency placements.

From a young age, Faye has been very strong willed and determined to change her life for the better. After leaving the care system aged 16, she was given her own council flat, got a job in a meat factory and decided to go to night school and re-sit her GCSEs.

After passing her exams, Faye worked tirelessly to become an engineer and now works as a Director of Operations at an international electronics firm. Faye is also a competitive marathon runner and is studying for her pilot's licence and a PhD. Despite her achievements, Faye struggles to feel proud of herself and wants to go on the course to keep proving herself.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
I have loved watching the show since inception and I wanted to understand my own limitations. Due to navigating through the care system, failing at school and being told I would be a failure in life, I wanted to test my resilience and see how I could personally adapt to the brutal conditions that would lie ahead.

 

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
I wanted to use this experience to get back to basics and understand how consuming minimal food, being in an unfamiliar (extreme) environment, having minimal sleep and living in an environment where all control was taken away from me, being mentally and physically drained and embrace how my body and mind would succeed in this environment.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
This was the most brutal environment I have ever experienced, unfamiliar surroundings, with no control over anything. I let go of everything and just embraced the experience.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
I learnt along this journey that I was scared of heights, which I didn’t actually ever think I was. However, by the end of the course I had lost that fear.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
I will look back on this experience as the best ever experience of my life and being around the DS gave me a mindset to never give up and always try my best and that’s what I will continue to do. I walked out of camp believing that I can achieve anything I want.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
I trained daily which is normal for me. However I did train to undertake a 10m TAB at Catterick, which is an event organised by the parachute regiment carrying a 25kg Burgen, which got me fit and ready for the weight that we were carrying in camp.

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
I’d say both mental and physical.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
I wasn’t prepared for the heat but I embraced and just drank as much water throughout the time spent in camp.

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
Fox/Billy were my favourites and they kept pushing me hard throughout the course. Foxy was always feeding back positive comments, so I just took those comments on board.

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
No – I didn’t have any expectations of what the DS line up would be. For me, I was more focused on enjoying the whole camp experience and taking guidance from whoever was there as DS.

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
Foxy told me I had skin as thick as Crocodile Skin, Billy told me I had courage, Chris told me he had high expectations of me and Rudy was pushing me all of the time.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
I have become good friend with Grant and I really enjoyed spending time with Charlotte and Amelia.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
I switched my mind off whilst in camp but as soon as I left I missed my family.

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
I walked straight into the hotel and jumped into a shower followed by a massage at the spa.

What’s the first food you ate?
I ordered Salmon, veg and potatoes, followed by chocolate cake, which was delicious.

Would you change anything about your time on the course?
I would not change anything. I gave everything, so I have no regrets.

Would you ever do it again?
Absolutely – I have a new level of respect for our Special Forces and if I were starting all over again. it’s something that would be a career option I would be pursuing.

 

 

 

 

NAME: Rosie
RECRUIT NUMBER: 8
AGE: 22
GENDER: Female
FROM: Basingstoke
OCCUPATION: IT Cyber Security Sales Account Manager
MARITAL STATUS: Partner
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: I do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Rosie is a European jiu jitsu medallist and multiple time English and British champion. Rosie had a tough childhood with her parents battling substance abuse and mental health issues.

Social services were regularly involved with her family but eventually her dad was able to take full custody of Rosie and her three siblings.

At 16 Rosie wanted to be independent and fend for herself, so she set herself a goal of becoming a homeowner by 18, which she achieved by working long hours and saving every penny. 

Rosie has a passion for the military and considered this as a possible career but working long hours on multiple jobs to achieve financial stability made this impossible. She now wants to do the course to see if she is capable of being pushed beyond her limits.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
I wanted to take part in SAS to challenge myself, get out of my comfort zone and see how far I could push myself.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
I wanted to improve my mental reliance, face my fears of being in water and meet some amazing new friends. I also wanted to raise awareness for Brazilian jiu jitsu, especially for the female jiu jitsu community.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
It exceeded my expectations and was different to what I had originally imagined. There were lots of different challenges that I never imagined experiencing and it was ten times harder than it looks on TV.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
I learnt that I still have a lot to learn in life and sometimes you will learn more from listening than walking.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened? I am terrible at swimming, and I was happy with how calm I stayed during the challenges that involved swimming, even though I was really struggling.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
I attended my first ever swimming lesson, 3 weeks before the course, and tried to do a lot of long distance runs and walks but now knowing how tough the course is, I would have trained a lot harder.

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
I was most nervous about the swimming, especially when I found out the new location, as on previous series, when they went into a jungle, there were a lot of swimming challenges. I think the course was way harder than it looks.

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
The hardest part for me was the swimming and the long hikes with the bergen.

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
I found it physically more challenging then mentally.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
I was not prepared for the climate but I think I was able to adapt quite quickly.

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
I think they were all strong characters who brought different positives to the course, but Billy inspired me the most to get the best out of myself and always push forward.

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
I was surprised as Billy was Chief DS this time around, which he hasn’t been on any of the previous series and Chris had never been on the course before.

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
Chris: Rise to the challenge and don’t feel sorry for yourself

Foxy: Don’t take life or yourself too seriously

Billy: You always have more in the tank and you’re stronger than you think you are

Rudy: Be aware of your surroundings

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
Yes I made a lot of good friends and some really strong relationships

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
My biggest fear was failure but I learnt that its ok to fail as long as I have given it everything I had.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
My dog and my partner

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
Wash my hair and have a shower

What’s the first food you ate?
Pizza and chocolate

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
This is difficult as it is hard to put into words but I was inspired, motivated and grateful after coming of the course. I knew that when I got home I would be able to push myself to new levels and accomplish more than I have ever imagined. I would have never been able to experience any of those things without going on the course, so I just felt overwhelmingly grateful.

Would you change anything about your time on the course?
I wish I had been more prepared. Also I wish I had been smarter and taken my boots off more to let them air.

Would you ever do it again?
Unfortunately yes I would, even though that sounds crazy

 

 

 

 

NAME: Daniel
RECRUIT NUMBER: 9
AGE: 29
GENDER: Male
FROM: Cheshire, UK.
OCCUPATION: Professional Ballet Dancer
MARITAL STATUS: Single
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: Graduate of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Moscow, Russia.

Daniel is a ballet dancer for the Lithuanian National Ballet and has been dancing since he was 6 years old. His sister’s ballet teacher made him join their class while he was waiting for her to finish, and he’s never looked back. Daniel used to wear a football shirt to class, so everyone knew he was a boy.

Aged 15, Daniel got a place at the world-renowned Bolshoi ballet school in Moscow where he studied for 4 years. He had never been away from home before and whilst studying there was only allowed home twice a year.

Daniel had to learn Russian as this was the only language that the teachers would speak. He said the training was gruelling and there were many days he considered leaving. He is only the second British person to ever fully graduate from the school.

Daniel grew up in a rugby family and everyone expected him to follow suit. Daniel wants to take on the course to show that stereotypes of male ballet dancers aren’t always true.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
I took part for a mixture of reasons. First, I'm reaching a stage in life when I need to start thinking about what to do when I finish my dance career. This is a scary thought for me, and I was hoping the course would help me find that experience. I also always dreamed when I was younger that if I didn't become a dancer, I would have enjoyed joining the Royal Marines. This gave me a small taste of that experience. This, alongside several personal reasons, led me to participate.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
I hoped to gain the confidence and motivation to change my life and do things differently from how I lived my life up until this point. It would be a lie to say that I wasn't just looking forward to the challenge itself. Because I did and was excited to see how far I could get and how far I could push myself.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
It was all expected and more. I was excited about all the physical and mental tests to come, and I certainly got them. The pressure was more than I expected, and by that, I mean the constant not knowing what you were doing, when you were going out, when to eat and when to sleep etc. This is something that can't translate through the TV, this constant intimidation of the unknown. But once you learn to accept it, the whole course becomes more manageable.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
I surprised myself with how quickly it was easy to push aside my fears and get on with the job. I had newfound confidence among this team of large personalities. I learnt it's ok to be a bit more emotional now and then.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
I was slightly worried about fitting in with the group but quickly felt at ease as everyone there was at that place for a single goal, and the motivation we gave each other was great.

I think a giant demon I faced was failure. I am very competitive and only expect the best from myself, so it can be a struggle when things don't work out. On one of the leadership task, after cutting my hand open on an ammo crate, I couldn't grip that hand after that point and struggled to help the team I was leading as much as I would have liked. This led to our failure alongside other reasons and taking the lessons from the staff that yes, we can fail, but it is what we do after that matters taught me a huge lesson. I now look forward to leading a team again and using what I have learnt.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
As a dancer, I train daily but obviously in a very different style from what we did in Vietnam. It was hard to prepare for the course as I was unaware of what we would do when we arrived. So I did some running and hiking with a heavy pack on my back to get used to it. I knew I wasn't a strong swimmer, which worried me, so I tried to get in the pool a couple of times before we left to get slightly more comfortable.

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
Milling worried me slightly as I am not much of a fighter. I was pitted against Grant for my first fight, who I remember telling me just the day before that he had done some boxing! It was tough, but I'm proud of how I did, and fighting after that point wasn't as intimidating anymore.

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
I didn't enjoy fighting with the women on the course and found that particularly hard, even though most of them could probably beat me up!

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
I thought I would struggle physically more than most due to my dancer's body, especially when I saw some of the guys in there. I was delighted with how my body held up and found I was stronger than expected. Most of that is down to mental strength though it was a constant game never to give up.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
The climate was intense. The humidity means that even though it is hot, nothing dries, so we were wet and soaked from the minute we entered until the minute we left. As the staff say, 'get comfortable with the uncomfortable'. I wasn't prepared as I didn't know where we were going, but it didn't bother me as much after a few days.

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
It would be hard to single any of them out as they all taught me a lot. I would say in any of the moments when I was feeling a bit down or not succeeding, a few words with Rudy got me up and ready to go again. On leaving, Chris summed up my whole journey and made me appreciate the experience I had just had. Foxy and Billy were also highly inspiring, and I have taken lessons from them all.

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
It was surprising to see a new face among the staff. They all bring such a wealth of experience, but it was a pleasure to learn under DS Chris. He was tough but fair, only wanting to see us put in the effort. I thought he was great.

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
Billy taught me to control my fears, slow down and take a breath.

Foxy had a sense of humour and wit in every situation, making everything feel easier.

Chris showed it wasn't about competing with others but doing your best for yourself every time.

Rudy inspired me to become whoever I want to be.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
There were some big personalities, so I was pleasantly surprised that everyone got along so well. I loved meeting everyone and hearing their stories. Each person had something to bring, and I found them all inspiring. I got particularly close to recruits Ross and Grant.

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
Heights I have always had a healthy respect for. As the course went on, this fear became, but a background thought, and by the end, I realised I wasn't even thinking about it. Same with swimming, I was worried, since I'm not that great of a swimmer. By the end, I was in and out of the water with new confidence and want to continue now improving.
Lastly, there are snakes. I never liked them much. The jungle has them in abundance, but once we started, that was the last of my concerns.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
I suppose most people would expect to miss the food, their bed, family, friends etc. While all of that may be slightly true, I can honestly say I was so busy I didn't have time to consider life outside the camp. I wanted to be in the moment—an experience you couldn't buy with all the money in the world.

What's the first thing you did when you finished the course?
I made a few phone calls to let my close friends and family know I was safe. Then I slept for as long as possible, only waking to have a beer or two with the incredible fellow recruits I met there. Then it was time to head back to everyday life.

What's the first food you ate?
A peanut butter sandwich one of the crew made me just as I came out. It tasted great, and I can't lie - the food wasn't that bad! When you're hungry, anything is a good option.

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
It's hard to describe to someone who hasn't gone through the experience. I would say what you see on TV isn't even 50% of it. It's a confidence-building, fear-busting couple of weeks, where the staff want to break you and see what's at your core. So I went there fully open and committed, which meant while I enjoyed every second, I also grew and felt I changed as it went on. So the mindset the staff gave me meant this is just the beginning.

Would you change anything about your time on the course?
I probably wouldn't have been so hard on myself in the moments I didn't perform as I expected. Instead, I learnt on the course to accept that no matter how hard you try, things will always go wrong, and it's more important to come back stronger. I would have liked to have more time working as the group leader.

Would you ever do it again?
I would do it again tomorrow if I could. I enjoyed the course and would have loved to continue for many more weeks.

 

 

 

 

NAME: Danica
RECRUIT NUMBER: 10
AGE: 36
GENDER: Female
FROM: London
OCCUPATION: Health and wellness coach
MARITAL STATUS: In a relationship
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: I just bought a camper van and plan to travel the world in it!!!

Danica is a yoga teacher, Wellbeing and performance coach and says people would describe her as someone who is energetic, loving and lights up a room when she walks in. Danica’s parents split up when she was a teenager and she decided to live with her dad who she was very close with. Sadly, last year her father took his own life, due to covid she was unable to see him before he died. 

Danica thinks she has been put on this earth to live a free life and the closer she is to danger, the more alive she feels. Danica thinks that not much in life challenges her, but she hopes the course will do just that.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
To challenge myself mentally, physically and emotionally. To meet new friends/likeminded people. To test my limits. To grow as a person.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
I hoped to have an amazing life changing experience. To meet likeminded people. I wanted to be challenged to the max and test my limits. To gain more physical/emotional/mental strength.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
It met my expectations and more!!!
I tried not to have many expectations of the course because I didn’t know what was in store. But it was 1000% times harder than my imagination. I knew it would be tough but I don’t think anything can prepare you for what’s to come. What you see on the actual show is a tiny percentage of what goes on in there.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
How strong and adaptable I am. How I can work well in a team but also alone. I learned that I hate being in wet clothes!!!! I learned that my mind is so strong and would continue on until my body gave up. Which is quite a scary thought!

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
I’ve spent the last 5 years working on my shadows and demons. This course helped me dust off any excess doubt I had about myself. The mental and physical strength to keep going. Whether that be climbing that mountain or going to sleep on those army beds in full kit. Being petrified of being woken up in the middle of the night. OCD and needing to be clean is now a thing of the past. I will never complain about being dirty ever again!
I knew I was a strong person inside and out but I didn’t realise how resilient and capable I am.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
I followed the training guidelines but continued my own usual practice of yoga, open water swimming and calisthenics. My yoga practice is a huge part of who I am. It has shown me how to live a life of freedom and flexibility with no judgement and full acceptance of whatever is thrown at me. It’s something that helped me massively during the course.

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
I was most nervous about running. I only started running when I was called for an audition 10 days before the beep test and before this I would say I ‘hated’ running.

I eventually started to love my running when training and whilst I wasn’t the best or fastest runner on the course, I never give up, and neither did my lungs or legs! Now I love running and actually can’t believe how well I was able to run in that heat and with that weight on my back.

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
I found the tasks quite hard. The market task with the gun was totally out of my comfort zone. I am a lover not a fighter!!! The height tasks were hard. I also found it quite difficult to take the information required within the time frame. I was too busy being in awe of being face to face with Billy/Foxy that sometimes I didn’t hear a word they were saying and then I was expected to jump off a cliff.

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
I found the physical challenges and tasks the hardest. I am used to mentally testing myself and am pretty familiar with overcoming mental obstacles and boundaries.

But saying that, neither were too bad. Life is how you deal with things, not what happens. In life, in general, I try not to have much of an opinion or to judge the situation, rather I just get on with it and do it to the best of my ability.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
I don’t think anyone can really prepare for that level of training in that heat and humidity. It was VERY hot and humid. It was difficult to be in full kit every day wet and sweaty. My skin was not able to breathe. I will never forget training and being in that heat and discomfort every day.

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
I found Billy him so scary and he didn’t break character once. It was great to see Foxy in the flesh. I had a lot of female friends who were excited for me to meet him too.

Chris was inspiring and Rudy had a very lovely side to him.

All were incredible teachers for me, I have a great respect for all military people after this experience. Their stories were amazing and I am just so grateful to have been trained by them. The most brutal but best coaches in the world.

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
I was surprised by the new line up but I think it was a great choice to have Billy as the Chief Instructor and Foxy 2nd. Chris is going to go down a storm and I’m glad Rudy was still there!! It was a surprise to see them at the top of that mountain on the first day.

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
To never give up. To be ready to go again. To take everything in your stride. To show up always. To be there for your team mates and work as a family. To stick together and help one another. To be truthful and have integrity. To be a BADASS always.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
Yes. I got on with most of the recruits in there. I especially bonded with Rosie, Becca and Levi. All recruits were incredible and I felt honoured to be a part of the line-up.

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
Biggest fear is fear itself. And I no longer fear fear. Nothing phases me anymore. And no challenge I am faced with is too tough. In fact, I know now that I can take on ANYTHING. It’s a bit annoying because nothing I do now in my every day life will come close to the challenges I faced on the course.. in some ways I feel dissatisfied but it’s driving me to do more things and get out of my comfort zone often.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
A proper shower, clean clothes and a hairbrush!!

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
Cried. Had a shower. Had a beer.

What’s the first food you ate?
I had a Huel (my life line) and the most amazing vegan Vietnamese food from a take away place down the road. I loved the food. Asian food is my fave so I was fine on the course eating rice and curry/stir fry.

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
The most life changing physical experience I have and will ever have. I met the most incredible people. Saw the most amazing parts of Vietnam. I took part in tasks that money can’t buy, was put through emotional and mental torture and survived. Pushed to my absolute maximum physically, mentally and emotionally, I had no idea that I had that in me. A part of me died and was reborn on that course.

After the most traumatic year of my life, losing my dad to suicide and the relationship with my mum breaking down and shortly after SAS, disconnecting from my sisters, to be given the opportunity to experience this course was INCREDIBLE.

Something that has changed my entire being, my outlook on life, my opinion on myself and humans in general. Most of us have no idea how powerful we are. I have a new found respect for people, myself, my recruits, the army, people in the production and casting business.. the list goes on. Eternally grateful for this experience and for what it has gifted me. Life will never be the same again and I wouldn’t change one thing about it.
It created space for me to evolve more into who I am meant to be. Grateful grateful grateful. And so thankful to the universe for this life.

Would you change anything about your time on the course?
Nothing. I accept every single thing that happens and am a true believer that it is all for a reason. I would have loved to have been in the final and to have passed the course but it wasn’t meant to be. I am so proud to have gotten as far as I did and stood by what I always knew about myself - I NEVER give up!!

Would you ever do it again?
NO!!! Once is enough I got everything I needed and more from the time I spent there.

 

 

 

 

NAME: Zachariah
RECRUIT NUMBER: 11
AGE: 27
GENDER: Male
FROM: Woolacombe
OCCUPATION: Chef
MARITAL STATUS: Single

Zac is a head chef at a restaurant in Woolacombe, North Devon. He describes himself as loud, outspoken and demanding, and says people don’t know how to take him. Zac didn’t have much of a family life growing up, his dad left when he was young, and his mum remarried. He says he often struggles with authority figures and that his mouth can get him into trouble. He also says he’s scared of heights, snakes and clowns.
Zac was sexually abused by a man . He subsequently had years of therapy and took anti-depressants for 5 years. Zac wants to find his purpose in life, he says he still has very dark thoughts and the only thing that helps him is exercise. He wants to see how he reacts to being pushed to his limits.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
I always wanted to take part in the series because it looked like a great challenge to try and achieve and it always interested me.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
I wanted to try and conquer my inner demons and unlock my full potential.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
Because I didn’t know the location, I didn’t really have any expectations going in but the expectations I did have of what a rough and brutal the course would be, were completely smashed out the water for how really rough and brutal it was.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
I learnt that I could push myself a lot further than expected.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
Yes I did, I rid myself of a lot of self-doubt - a feeling that has really taken over in my life. I really did come to understand that I’m so much more capable of completing things when I give it everything.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
To prepare myself, I did an awful lot of cardio. That included weighted runs wearing backpacks in the summer. I obviously didn’t know we were going to be in the jungle but I kind of anticipated it was going to be somewhere hot. However, nothing really prepared me for the jungle humidity - it’s crazy ruthless.

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
The part of the course I was most nervous about was the backwards dive but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was not going to do this challenge. The second thing about the course that I was most nervous about was going into the mirror room and being interviewed by the DS. I was particularly nervous about going in there and being questioned about my reasons for doing on the show.

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
For me, the hardest part of the course was the mental side, the psychological side of things, specially being so tired all the time and feeling quite fatigued. It was really hard to stay mentally resilient on top of everything, especially in that heat. The tasks were quite difficult as well but all mixed together, with the constant pressure of just being under intense scrutiny about everything I was doing, was just mentally draining

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
The mental side of things was the most challenging. Although the physical side was quite hard to do, it was just a thing that you kind of put your head down and got to a place where you have to be and I would just get on with it but the mental side was so much more challenging. I was always questioning myself. That self-doubt just kicked in so much and I was always kind of gaslit into thinking I was doing the wrong thing even, even though I was probably doing the right thing. It was so hard.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
I did a lot of weight runs in the heat at home but nothing could really prepare me for the humidity of the Vietnamese climate. After my training, I thought I was well equipped for a hot place but once we arrived there, with the rucksacks on, I soon realised I was underprepared.

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
My experience under the DS was crazy. I felt like Chris Oliver definitely surprised everybody with his appearance on the show and the intensity of his character. But this man kind of also inspired me a lot. He taught me a lot about myself and really opened my eyes to my attitude and how I can be. Rudy was exactly what I thought he was going to be like - a funny, yet intense character. However, Billy, on the other hand surprised me the most, with how he was both ruthless and intense. I have the most respect for him. He has so much experience, especially in the jungle and I found it such a hard place to be, let alone succeed.

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
Yeah I was surprised by the lineup of the DS. I did think there was going to be someone new but I didn’t think it was going to be something as intense as Chris Oliver. The man brought intensity, together with a balance of understanding and I feel like he understood my character quite well. I feel like he really understood and related to the way I was acting and the way he got us to do things was so intensely ruthless.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
Yeah I feel like me and Levi probably connected on a really good level. This man was flipping hilarious. But then saying that, me and a lot of the other recruits clicked on quite a few levels. I found most of the characters are quite like me - funny, outgoing, outspoken, so I got along with everyone quite well. To be fair, there were a few people who I didn’t really like but that’s always going to happen.

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
My biggest fear is facing my fears and being open and honest about myself, which I faced quite a lot in the course.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
To be deadly honest, there’s not much I missed while in Vietnam. I’m not really one to miss family or friends while away but did I miss a cold pint of San Miguel!

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
The first thing I did was actually sleep!

What’s the first food you ate?
The first food I believe I ate was the packet of crisps!

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
To summarise my whole experience of SAS: Who Dares Wins - I had the time of my life and it was a complete once in a lifetime opportunity but I’m never going to do anything like that again. I faced so many of my fears and made myself so proud of doing all these things I accomplished and I honestly feel like a different person. I went into this course someone and come out someone else, so I’m happy and so proud of myself for doing what I’ve did.

Would I ever do it again? Yes!

 

 

 

 

NAME: Aliyah
RECRUIT NUMBER: 12
AGE: 26
GENDER: Female
FROM: South East London
OCCUPATION: Influencer
MARITAL STATUS: Single
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: I have 175K YouTube followers

Aliyah was born in South Africa and moved to the UK when she was a baby. She is a social media influencer with over 175,000 subscribers on YouTube, and says she ‘fell into’ influencing after uploading videos to YouTube and hasn’t looked back since.

Aliyah recently suffered a miscarriage 6 months into her pregnancy and documented her journey on social media. She became pregnant again but sadly she miscarried a second time, at exactly the same stage.

Aliyah now feels it’s her responsibility to raise awareness of miscarriages. Aliyah wants to take on the course as she thinks ‘it will heal me in the most twisted of ways, and I want to get my spark back’.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
A friend told me to audition because it was something she thought I’d be good at.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
A inner spark of some sort.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
I didn’t really have much expectation because I didn’t know what I was signing up for but I definitely had a life changing experience. It was scary, it was challenging and it changed me as a person, I feel like I can do anything.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
That I’m a fighter, I can literally get through anything.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
I followed the course training guide.

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
The beastings.

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
Physically, it really challenged me from the inside out.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
I was not prepared at all for how hot it was.

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
I loved the new line up, they were all inspiring in a different way.

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
They dropped gems every day through their speech, one gem I remember that Rudy said “Move with intention” that stuck with me.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
I would say I gained a new family, especially with Hilary, Levi and Pete.

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
I don’t think I have a fear anymore to be honest, my experience was very unique physically and spiritually.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
Although I wasn’t prepared for it, the heat.

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
Cry.

What’s the first food you ate?
I had a burger I think.

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience.
Life changing, no one will understands unless they walk in your shoes. I went through every emotion but I’m here and I’m glad I did it.

Would you change anything about your time on the course?
No.

Would you ever do it again?
I think so yes.

 

 

 

NAME: Pete
RECRUIT NUMBER: 13
AGE: 33
GENDER: Male
FROM: East Midlands
OCCUPATION: Firefighter
MARITAL STATUS: Married
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: There is no one else like me in the world. I am 1 on 1.

Pete is a firefighter from the East Midlands and has worked for the fire service for the last 15 years. Aged 15 Pete started playing Roller Hockey for GB and started going to the gym to boost his performance levels. Keen to also improve his physique, Pete got into power lifting.

Pete thought getting stronger would make him happy and stop bullies from picking on him, so he started taking steroids. As his habit escalated, he was eventually thrown out of his family home at 18 because his parents found needles in his room.

Pete has now given up steroids and hosts a podcast for the firefighter community where he also openly discusses their damaging side effects. He’s now realised the real values of being a strong person on the inside and wants to take on the course to test his inner strength and determination.

 

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
I am a naturally obsessive person who, as a recovered addict, is passionate about discovering what makes people put themselves into challenging situations over and over again. This is what made me want to be a firefighter. I wanted to come on this experience to put myself around other high functioning people in a hope that I’d listen and learn from them. I want to keep reaching in life and I want to punch through into that next chapter. We can all be guilty of becoming stale and I want to strip that growing level of comfort and place myself around other passionate, driven and exceptional people who hold themselves to a higher standard.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
I wanted to be exposed. To see what is beneath and beyond my current self-limiting beliefs. To learn about how to balance my intensity and obsessiveness and better channel it into productive vs destructive avenues.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
It delivered a punch I wasn’t ready for. I have learnt more about myself than I anticipated I would and I know the SAS experience has been a big part of that.

It delivered a lot but also gave me something I wasn’t ready for. It has left me facing battles I wasn’t ready for and I am learning every day, even now I have left the course.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
Be even more consistent and focus on the process more. Life is long, learn from the setbacks and grow. Ultimately no one knows what they are doing and we are all making it up as we go along. Just let go, be even more open. People are incredible. Listen more and keep leading by example with effort, standards and values.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
I wasn’t able to fully confront my demons. I have unfinished business and must travel other roads to find closure. I don’t know that I ever will fully exercise my demons. They are part of me and I know this now. I must make friends with them and make them part of my team and part of my power.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
Continuing the daily habits that have served me. Self-discipline, on reflection I did too much physical prep and had broken my body down too much before starting the course. I continued daily ice baths, HIIT sessions in saunas, daily PT, podcasts, time alone, training at unusual times e.g. 2am, sleep deprivation and calorie depletion.

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
I was not nervous about the course. I was excited and ready to listen, learn and grow.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
The climate was absolutely intense. I don't know that there is any way to fully prepare for this. My body was sweating from the second I stepped off the plane. It was difficult to relax or sleep even during the very brief time I was given. Everyday we were there, our bodies were getting weaker. I try to prepare for hot and cold climates and trained HIIT sessions in a sauna on a weekly basis in anticipation of being somewhere hot and uncomfortable. My role as a firefighter helped me to push my body in hot, dangerous and hostile environments without panicking.

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
Being able to work with the directing staff was the biggest reason I wanted to go on the course. I found their focus, assertiveness, command presence and personal standards incredibly inspiring. I am a big believer in the value of association and being able to be around people who hold themselves to a high standard and have engrained self-discipline in their daily work ethic. I found Billy to be the most experienced and authentic in his wide ranging career experiences and being able to communicate lessons through his lived experiences. Foxy is my absolute favourite due to his high level of emotional intelligence and ability to build quick rapport with people. He has lived his life even post military and I find him to be the open and someone you really want to do well for. Feeling like you let Foxy down would hurt the most because he sincerely wants to see people achieve their potential. Rudy has such a wealth of knowledge about cultures, military history and is incredibly passionate about the sector. I always leaned in that little bit more when he would give us background on a specific military force, technique or weaponry. He also has incredibly high physicals standards and clearly has great self-discipline. I looked up to him as an example of what I hope to maintain in terms of physical self-discipline. Chris being the newest DS brought current knowledge and more credibility with him. You could see and hear he was more familiar with the operational side and the weaponry. He also pushed people harder than most. He still has that hard-core raw approach to helping people give more when they think they are done.

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
It was great to see Billy as the lead for the course. It was great to see a change in the dynamic and I believed it made for a really rich, interesting, deep, authentic and challenging course, being surrounded by such a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
The people I shared this experience with are an incredible group of diverse, quirky, ambitious, passionate, intelligent, strong willed people. I got to know them all very closely and intimately in such a short period of time. These are relationships I will cherish forever.

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
When I was younger my biggest fear used to be that I would wake up one day and realise I missed the opportunity to make a difference, to be part of something great, to become somebody that could add positive influence to the world. I was so busy being impressed by the rest of the world that I convinced myself to throttle back my participation until I was ready, until I had some value to add. I've realised for the last couple of years and the experience of SAS: Who Dares Wins helped solidify my realisation that I have always been someone who can make a positive difference, who can make an influence every day, in small but meaningful ways. I learned to be less impressed and more involved. I've always been part of something great because everyday I have woken up with another opportunity to keep playing the game. I'm an active participant in my game of life. I know that some days I will win and other days I will feel like there is no coming back from the losses but ultimately my decision to wake up each morning and be an active player means that everyday I am part of the game. I have a hand dealt to me each day. I’m in control and it's up to me to do the best I can with the hand I've got limited time I get to keep playing.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
Nothing

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
I went to the gym, trained, listened to music on repeat and told myself this isn’t over. This is a comma, not a full stop. You don’t get to choose your challenges.

What’s the first food you ate?
Steak, rice, fruit smoothie.

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
It was an incredible privilege to be part of this. it gave me a glimpse into a different world and widened my perspective on how big I want to play in my life. Whilst I desperately wished I could have continued further along the journey I must reframe my experience to allow my mind to keep leaning in, to keep growing, to stay optimistic. People watch how you win but they also watch how you fall, what it means to you and how you let it define you. I am still very young and have many more adventures that I want to have. This was the first step into the next chapter of my life and I'm very grateful to have been introduced to a number of incredible people but I've inspired me to pick up the pen and write one hell of a next chapter.

Would you change anything about your time on the course?
Control the controllables. There are absolutely approaches to life that I need to adapt in order to continue to become healthier and more aware of what my mind and body need in order to perform at their optimum. Physically I over indexed on this one and paid the price. there are still aspects of my ego that I need to sacrifice in order for my body to recover and move on stronger. if had this greater level of self-awareness going into the course, things would have been different. But this is all part of my evolution.

Would you ever do it again?
If I had the opportunity, I would absolutely go back onto another series of SAS: Who Dares Wins, to be able to show to myself and others how we can deal with setbacks and truly grow from them. We are all faced with challenges and setbacks. I have not finished playing and now I'm ready for the next game to begin.

 

 

 

NAME: Ross
RECRUIT NUMBER: 14
AGE: 41
GENDER: Male
FROM: Kent
OCCUPATION: Security Manager
MARITAL STATUS: Married
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: I grew up in a caravan as a Romani Gypsy and was home schooled.

Ross is a security manager and former firefighter. He says people would describe him as a cross between Captain America and a staffy dog.
Ross grew up as a Romany Gypsy, in a family with a very strict father. His parents met at a fun fair and his mum ran away with his dad to live in a caravan. They home schooled Ross in a traditional Gypsy lifestyle without running water or electricity. Ross says his parents faced a lot of hatred from the local community and councils and as a result moved around a lot.

Last year, Ross gave his parents a lift to his brother’s wedding and unknowingly gave them covid. Ross’ father didn’t believe in medicine or even the fact that Covid existed. He sadly died a week later. Ross wants to do the course so he can live a little closer to his childhood dream of being in the Army.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
I wanted to test myself and see what sort of a person I was in an extreme and unknowable environment.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
Some confidence in my abilities, should they be warranted.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
It actually did meet my expectations. I had watched all of the previous episodes of the course with an analytical eye. I thought that it would be a series of life changing experiences sandwiched between periods of stress, uncertainty and discomfort! I’d say that idea was pretty much on point!

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
I’m pleased to say that I discovered that I’m consistently myself, even under the conditions mentioned. My patience and consideration for those around me wasn’t tested under pressure and I performed relatively well.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
Yes, I think so. Whilst I’m lucky to have not found any phobias yet, I do suffer with an uncertainty of my abilities and how they compare to those around me. An unfortunate side effect I believe, of growing up in a peerless learning environment. As I said above, whilst I could be negatively critical of individual aspects of my performance, as a whole I was okay. It really has changed my feeling of self-worth since coming out. Not so much outwardly as I never carried myself in a manner which would bely any doubts but inside, I feel different. It’s truly excellent.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
Yes, lots of running with a 20kg bergen (thinking I was overtraining, estimating the course weight to be around 15kg), working up to 4 x 10ks per week with a once per fortnight 21 miles march/tab with the same bergen. I resistance trained too. I’d had a long layoff from training though which ceased in April when I decided to apply for the course. I didn’t expect to get lucky on my first try you see!

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
I was worried that with only a few months of training prior to arriving that the parade style “beastings” would be too much for me. Even watching the show analytically, it was impossible to tell how long those sessions go on for, and how many reps would be required before you were into the mental toughness reserves! Unfortunately, it really was as bad as I’d feared!

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
The parade ground beastings. That, and the rice sandwiches for breakfast that needed to be wetted with cold water so you could swallow them!

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
That’s a tough question. The “not knowing what’s coming next” is probably the bit that affects you for the longest time. Even after the course ends.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
I absolutely hate training in heat. Even in our UK climate I rarely do cardio during the summer months. I absolutely love winter, I camp in the woods all year, I go skiing and snowboarding in winter and that’s when my outdoor training usually ramps up. I hoped that it would be somewhere cold! You can’t always get what you wish for though can you? It was disgusting, I mean amazing to look at, even relax in but not to do cumbersome things in!

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
Since starting to watch the show and getting to know the DS from the viewpoint of the TV I have read everyone’s biographies and books and of course through that I feel like O know them even more. They are of course the epitome of inspiring with what they’ve each endured. My time in the mirror room was especially invoking. It’s so surreal having people you’ve been inspired by but never met actually talking to you about your life. I had Mark Billingham and Rudy Reyes and they were actually very gentle with me which I wasn’t expecting but they said some though provoking things.

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
I was really pleased that Rudy Reyes was still in this year’s course. I really like Rudy. He always showed genuine empathy to the recruits. I was most excited that Foxy was still in the line-up and I have to say that the newest addition Chris was most excellent. Quiet, humble and with such empathy too. A very down to earth guy. Not forgetting of course “Billy”, probably the most difficult to please, not that any of us did even manage that!

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
Do not give up on yourself and take each challenge a piece at a time.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
Yes, we were a really lucky course. I’m not sure if it’s the same for the other course’s but we didn’t really have much friction which, considering the conditions and pressure you are constantly under, is pretty unlikely. We all stay in touch now, almost every day.

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
Publicly failing. No, I don’t think so.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
Without hesitation my wife. And my dog.

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
I tried to call my wife but hung up when I realised I’d be too choked up for her to understand what I was saying, so I left her a voice note instead!

What’s the first food you ate?
Becca and Kate met me and greeted me with a bag of treats, bless them!

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
Hot, hard and emotional. I put my fear of publicly being rubbish behind me and I’m glad I did.

Would you change anything about your time on the course?
Yes, I’d come in fitter but I’m sure lots of people say that!

Would you ever do it again?
God no! Yes…. Maybe but not anytime soon!

 

 

 

Name: Scott
Recruit Number: 15
Age: 35
Gender: Male
From: Born Zimbabwe, Lives In London
Occupation: Hedge Fund Trader
Marital Status: Engaged
Interesting Fact About Yourself: Used To Live With Lions And Elephants In The Chobe

Scott is 34 and lives in London with his fiancé. Scott had a tough upbringing and was moved around constantly as a child. His family finally settled in Botswana, but he had to travel across the border to Zimbabwe every day just to go to school.

Scott was eventually sent to boarding school where he suffered emotional and physical abuse. At the age of 18 his dad gave him the option of flying to the UK to study at university, which Scott agreed to do hoping for a career in finance.

After graduation and years of sending applications, Scott finally secured an internship at a bank, where he was the only black trader working on his trading floor. Scott now works alongside a charity to encourage and support diversity and inclusion in investment banking and wants to take on the course to prove that anything is possible.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
I have always felt that any growth I’ve experienced as a person has been after being put through challenging and difficult, mental and physical experiences that force you to evolve and become better. I can’t imagine a more fitting experience than SAS to push me past my limits, and act as a catalyst to personal change.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
Put some old demons to bed, and become a more self-aware , impactful person , who through strength of character is an inspiration to people around him

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
The course delivered and exceeded all of my expectations. It was physically alot more challenging than I expected. When I entered the jungle, I was in the best shape I have ever been in and after the first beasting session, I was questioning whether I was deluded in my preparation, something I think all the recruits felt on day one. After the initial shock to the system, I calmed down and began to acclimatise to the physical demands.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
I learned that limitations are only mental barriers that you impose on yourself and taking on this experience is evidence of that fact. That strength can be found when you have nothing left, and that the only thing that can hold or impede you at something - is YOU.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
I feel there is quite a lot to unpack with this question. The demons I was facing were childhood bullying and abuse, and what I perceived as a lack of caring from my parents. And most recently getting divorced after 5 years, and developing very self-destructive tendencies. Post the course, I feel like an entirely different person to the man who went into it. I’ve accepted my past, acknowledged mistakes, and now recognise the importance of running towards my problems rather than away from them.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
3 hours a day in the gym, composed of weights (Push/Pull Split), weighted incline treadmill marches and bodyweight exercises 6 days a week.

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
I found the constant emotional fatigue the hardest. Being happy when you complete a task or finish a beasting and know more about your limitations versus the dissonance of knowing that you will have to do it again at anytime and in a weaker physical state than your current one.

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
I feel that the mental aspect of the course was the most challenging. The constant voice in your head questioning why you were there and putting yourself through hell. The pull and push of navigating that, whilst being physically pushed to your limits. You can train to carry weight or do chin-ups, you cannot train mental fortitude.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
Having spent 18 years growing up in Botswana and Zimbabwe heat, I was fully prepared for climate, and definitely felt more at home in humid heat than I would have done in a colder environment.

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
As expected the DS were direct, demanding, intimidating and most of all inspirational. I enjoyed the personal anecdotes from each of them, but it is something that Rudy said to me when I left that I will always remember and will have a profound change to the way I look at life going forward. He said “ all it takes, is all you’ve got” and how I interpreted that was if you give everything to something and leave nothing on the table, then irrespective of the outcome you have learned something, grown and are stronger for it.

Were you surprised by the new DS line up? Explain
The main surprises to the new DS line up, were Billy becoming Chief Instructor, and Chris coming onboard to replace Remi.

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
Chris: Hard work, graft and get the job done.

Billy: You’ve always got one more in you, mindset and mental fortitude will get you further than anything else.

Foxy: Don’t focus on the negatives, accept and acknowledge the situation you are in and overcome it.

Rudy: Your heart and your mind can carry your body when your limbs are too weak. That the moment you feel you can’t go on, is just the feeling of weakness leaving the body - you’ve always got a little more to give.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
Yes, I formed close bonds with most of my fellow recruits and still speak to everyone almost every other day. The course has produced lifetime friendships.

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
Unfulfilled opportunity. Being given your shot, and not being able to take it because you were inadequately prepared, or fear of what the outcome would be paralysed you. Since leaving the course it has become much less of something I think about. I learned that 90% of life is showing up. Show up, work hard, leave it all on the table, REPEAT. Eventually the outcome you require will manifest.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
I missed home routine the most. Oddly I did not have any craving or desires for specific food or comfort. I missed the ability to go the gym at a specific time, sleep at a designated time, and actually have a day that I planned.

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
Called my fiancée to let her know I had finished the course, and to hear a familiar voice from home.

What’s the first food you ate?
After white rice and bread during the course, oddly after finishing the first food I ate, was a bread-and-butter sandwich. I think more for sentimentality than anything else. But to this day it is the single best meal I have ever tasted

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
An incredible journey. A physically demanding, emotionally challenging, mental battle that tested my limits, exposed my weaknesses, strengthened my character and pushed me to grow.

Would you change anything about your time on the course?
My experience on the course was fantastic, I would not change anything. If there was anything it would be keeping my feet dry more often.

Would you ever do it again?
100% where can I sign up for SAS: Who Dares Wins All Stars Series.

 

 

 

NAME: Jordan
RECRUIT NUMBER: 16
AGE: 28
GENDER: Female
FROM: Newcastle
OCCUPATION: Professional boxer & PT
MARITAL STATUS: Married
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: I’ve come from a gypsy background

Jordan was raised in the travelling community living in a caravan and spending long periods not going to school. When she did go to school Jordan struggled to fit in and says she stuck out like a sore thumb. Eventually, Jordan decided to knuckle down and achieved good grades.

After coming out as gay aged 16, Jordan was ostracised by the travelling community. She then lived with her grandma who has since brought her up. This dark period caused Jordan to turn to substance abuse and violence, resulting in her waking up one morning with the police at her door investigating a fight that Jordan couldn’t even remember.

Four years ago, Jordan discovered boxing and something clicked as she found a healthy outlet for energy and emotions. Jordan is now a professional boxer and lives with her wife and one year old baby.

Having struggled with acceptance in her life, Jordan wants to now take on the challenge of being accepted by the world’s most elite fighting force.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
I’ve watched the series for years and always thought that’s a bit of me, just had to wait for the right moment in my life to apply. This year I felt I was physically and mentally prepared so went for it.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
I wanted to realise how far I could really push myself and take that into the boxing ring in the hope to one day become world champion. I push myself every single day but felt SAS would give me that extra bit of spice and drive.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
It was a LOT harder than I expected. I knew it would be tough but watching on the TV and doing it in real life are completely different versions. It was actually more physically challenging than I expected. Although a lot of what we did required mental strength, a lot of the challenges were physical and had to chuck everything in.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
One of the main things I would say is self belief. Although I’m confident and train extremely hard, I do have self doubt “Am i good enough” kind of thoughts but I truly believe that with hard work and commitment, I can achieve anything I put my mind to. I also so learned that when you think you’re at the end, you’re not. You’ve got 10/20/30% still left in the tank, you’ve just got to tap into the brain and think positive thoughts.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
I always classed myself as weak if I cried but I really feel I’ve let that go since doing the course. There was one day we were asked to write a letter home to our loved ones as though we were to pass away and they’d pick that up, the DS then sent us out for the biggest beasting of our lives. During that beasting I was pushed to limits I’d never ever experienced before. But me being me doesn’t quit and that’s when I really had to dig into the reserve tank to get through. When we got back to camp, we were asked to all sit on the end of our beds and read our letters out loud. I instantly choked up whilst reading mine and couldn’t catch my breath. That’s the first time I’ve been vulnerable in front of people and from that moment I realised it was okay. It was okay to be emotional and it’s not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
We were sent a training plan to follow 3 weeks out from travelling. My training schedule is really intense anyway. I train 6 times a week, twice a day. Variety of boxing, strength and conditioning, track and running sessions, swimming, to have that total variety.

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
I’d said going in, getting gassed was up there with one of the challenges I was most nervous about. It wasn’t actually as bad as I expected. It was tough, don’t get me wrong, but because I stayed as calm as possible and didn’t panic, I felt I had it under control really well. I was actually really surprised at how calm I remained during that challenge but so happy to complete it and find what was needed.

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
Going into the course I never thought I was afraid of heights but I really found the height challenges tough. I tried not to show it too much so it was exploited as a weakness so did what was needed to get through any height challenges.

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
Mental for me was definitely the most challenging. No matter how tough physically it got, the mental side is what would get you through. I had to keep telling myself positive thoughts over and over again to help me get through each challenge.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
The humidity is something I’ve never experienced before. The first 4-5 days were insane, I felt like there was no air

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
The staff were absolutely unreal. BRUTAL, but unreal. Four inspiring men to look up to and I honestly can’t thank them enough for pushing me every single day. Billy pulled me aside after one the challenges where I had a slight wobble and said to me “you have so much potential” and that’s really stuck with me since coming home. It relit a fire in my brain and I’ve brought it home.

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
I didn’t know what or who to expect so the DS didn’t really come as a surprise.

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
I’ve learned to really believe in myself and my ability from all of the DS. All four of them are really inspiring for what they’ve done and been through. Billy kept reminding us that it doesn’t matter if you’re the fittest, strongest or always at the front. It’s who’s putting 100% in and really pushing themselves through boundaries. It’s all about mental strength.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
I did yeah. Pretty much everyone got along but there’s a couple of them I really clicked with and felt I could naturally open up to. It’s crazy to think I knew some of them for such a short time but it feels like 10 years. We’ve gone through an experience together not many people will ever face. They were my family whilst in there.

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
I think my biggest fear was failure. I hate losing, I’ve got that winning mentality and that will always be the same. I’ve realised that sometimes a loss isn’t the end of the world or the end of the road, it’s how you pick yourself back up and push forward to improve from previous mistakes.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
My baby girl and wife 100000% - it was mentally tough not speaking to them. They were my strength but also my weakness every single day. I just had to make sure the strength element took over to get me through the course and I was counting down the days until I could see them both again.

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
FaceTimed my wife so I could speak to her and my little girl. I’m not the type of person to get emotional but I cried HARD. It was the best feeling ever when she answered.

What’s the first food you ate?
Kit Kat and can of Diet Coke. I was that mentally and physically fatigued I couldn’t eat loads straight away. When I did properly each, I had spring rolls, chicken and rice, chips, Diet Coke. You name it, I had it.

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
Breath-taking and surreal from start to finish. This genuinely is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m so proud and honoured to be accepted onto the series. The experience is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life and take into boxing which was one of my main goals. The laughs, tantrums, blood, sweat and tears was worth every single bit of physical and mental pain. The environment we were in is one of the hardest environments to be part of, in my opinion. The heat, the humidity, the sleeping arrangements, everything was completely out of my comfort zone. I was in survival mode the whole time I was there and I’m so excited to see what I can achieve on the back of this experience.

Would you change anything about your time on the course?
Absolutely not. Never look back, always forward. I put everything possible into the course.

Would you ever do it again?
As crazy as I am, YES. Nothing, no one or any amount of money could buy that experience. I absolutely would chuck myself in the deep end again and give it my all.

 

 

 

 

NAME: Jamie

RECRUIT NUMBER: 17
AGE: 32
GENDER: Male
FROM: Bretforton, Worcestershire
OCCUPATION: Model/Footballer
MARITAL STATUS: Single (Engaged)
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: Profoundly deaf since birth, my first language is sign language. Captain for England & GB deaf football teams!

Jamie was born profoundly deaf and is the only deaf member of his family. He was given a cochlear implant when he was 6 years old and found it overwhelming hearing sounds for the first time. Jamie now prefers to not wear it as he often prefers the peacefulness of silence.
Growing up, Jamie was popular at school because he was good at football. He started playing for Worcester and was scouted by England’s Deaf Football Team who he now captains. Jamie has played in major tournaments such as the World Cup, Deaflympics and Euro Champs. He is the highest goal scorer in the GB Deaf team’s history.

Jamie’s wanted to do the SAS: Who Dares Wins course because he wanted to be taken further out of his comfort zone. He also wanted to prove that deaf people are just as capable as anyone else.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
I decided to take part of SAS: Who Dares Wins because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and face these difficult challenges, prove to myself and others that being completely deaf doesn’t mean that I am any different to anyone else and I am able to compete just as well as anyone else.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
What I was hoping to get out of this experience was to hopefully raise awareness of deaf people and how we communicate and struggle on a daily basis.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
It was tougher than I imagined. The food - I didn’t expect this and didn’t really eat and so I felt myself lacking energy!

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
What I’ve learnt about myself is that I’m not as fit as I thought I was. I thought I was very fit but there are others who are on a different kind of level. It’s not always about speed, but there is more than one kind of fitness! Endurance for example. And my body was probably the wrong sort of fitness!

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
Thankfully I didn’t have any demons whilst out there. I’m usually very good with my mind.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
Unfortunately I didn’t have much time to prepare for the course. I only swam twice and a took part in a football match.

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
I was most nervous about being stuck in the dark because then I wouldn’t be able to communicate. I obviously can’t hear, so not being able to see anything is the worst thing ever! One of the tasks on the course was crawling through a tunnel in pitch black. It was quite scary because the tunnel was getting smaller and smaller toward the end but thankfully I remained calm and positive!

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
The training on the parade square was the most brutal thing I’ve ever done in my whole life. I would never want to do it again!

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
I found the physical side more difficult than the mental side because I felt myself running out of energy - my diet is bad and I blame this.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
I thought the Vietnamese heat was very warm but I’m used to it because I’ve played football in humid countries for England, so I already knew what to expect.

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
My experience with DS was somewhat good. I felt most connected with Rudy because of how he was with me. He’s such a cool dude but I’m not going to lie, he was the most difficult to lip read!! I loved Jason Fox! His presence made me feel more calm than others, if I’m honest. Some of their stories really inspired me - how difficult it must’ve been for them!

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
Not sure if I was surprised but I was just in awe the moment I saw them because the reality hit when i saw them! It was so cool!

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
We recruits have created a group on WhatsApp and have are regularly in touch with each other. There have been some nights out together and we are all looking forward to meeting up again soon! I get on with Danica most. She’s a unique soul… she always made sure that I was ok and understood the tasks. Bless her.

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
My biggest fear in there was failing a task/letting my fellow recruits down because of communication but I think I did ok - not great but not bad either.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
I missed my food whilst out there!! I love cereals and junk food! And of course my fiancée and family! And our cats!!

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
When I left the course I ate crisps and chocolates and then had a pizza!! I had a hot bath, it was so nice!! Then I picked up my phone - I didn’t know what to do.. I only wanted to call my fiancée.. I spoke to her, then just went to sleep! I spoke to my family when I woke up feeling more energised!!

What’s the first food you ate?
A large BBQ chicken pizza and chips with a bottle of Fanta orange! Oh my days, it was amazing!

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
It’s something that I’m very glad to have been involved in.

Would you ever do it again?
At first I thought, no I wouldn’t do it again. But now I certainly would!

 

 

 

NAME: Levi
RECRUIT NUMBER: 18
AGE: 34
GENDER: Male
FROM: London
OCCUPATION: HGV lorry driver
MARITAL STATUS: In a relationship

Levi works as an HGV driver but has a colourful career history including a ballet shoemaker, a shop assistant at Sainsbury’s and a lighting technician. He lives at home with his Mum and 16-year-old sister. Levi’s brother Joshua was one year older than him and they were extremely close, Levi looked up to him like a father. In 2013 Levi came home to find him dead in the bath, he had died of a brain haemorrhage. Levi tried to do CPR but it didn’t work.

This traumatic event completely shook Levi’s world; he says from the minute he saw his brother dead, his heart completely broke in two. He started drinking every day and was in an extremely bad place mentally. A few years ago, Levi moved to the Middle East to stop drinking, and focused on Ju Jitsu as a force for self-discipline.

For the first time that Levi can remember he is happy and in a good place in his life. Although he recently got rejected from the paratroopers, something that he had wanted to do since he was a child, because he has a tattoo on his face in memory of his brother. Levi wants to celebrate how far he has come since his brother’s death and show himself how strong he really is.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
I took part because I always thought I had what it takes to be in the military I wanted to prove to myself it was not just a fantasy in my head, so I applied and got in and gave it everything I had, my all and then some

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
I hoped to learn a lot about myself, my capabilities and how far I was willing to push myself mentally and physically. I wanted to learn to overcome my weaknesses and highlight what they were also to find out my strengths. I wanted to push myself to a level I’ve never taken myself to before.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
It exceeded my expectations, I knew it would be tough, but I had no idea it would be that mentally tough and physically, I always thought of myself as a fit and capable individual who had strong mental resilience, well when they say expect the unexpected, that was definitely the case here. I expected to be put through my paces but didn’t realise this would be 24/7 physically and the day would end at some point again. You never knew it was the end until the lights went out but mentally it never did end, that was the greatest challenge, what was as expected and lived up to its name was the discipline the shouting, the relentlessness of the DS, the being pushed harder and faster than ever before. I did love that bit though, it really does encourage you and drives you to push beyond your threshold and whatever you thought you had left in the tank, they always seemed to get another 100% worth of effort out of you before you actually crumbled.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
I learnt that I was loved, I learnt that I was good at motivating people, and I was inspiring to others. I also learnt I was able to push myself further than I ever imagined, I learnt to not be afraid of the unknown, and stop other thinking just take the days as it comes what will be will be.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
Yes, I confronted a lot of my demons in the form of past traumas. It was very emotional mentally, it allowed me to really talk about what I had gone through and the pain that I have felt inside for so long. It was healing to cry with others and to understand I was not alone in the pain I have felt. I used this pain to help push me to motivate me and to remind me why I was on the course. I used them to remind me to never give up, unfortunately for me bringing all these traumas back up and reliving them caused me a great deal of stress when i returned home, i was out of that environment where I felt safe and didn’t feel vulnerable, to being home where I then bottled it all back up and kept it hidden from my family, I felt opening up to strangers so much easier than talking to my family as I felt i was burdening them with all my trauma and I didn’t want it to affect them day to day, but i wouldn’t change me being on the show for the world I’m learning coping mechanisms to deal with my thoughts n feelings, I’m happy this happened as I never would have confronted these demons now I’m home I getting rid of them once and for all.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
My training schedule was quite normal my usual gym routine lifting heavy weights, as that’s what I love to do. I did incorporate a lot more swimming as I do love to swim anyway, and to be honest only about 15 mins on the tread mill each day, when weight training I would do more circuit training than just strength training to try and build cardio and endurance, also making shore I rested well probably 2 days before I left for the show, just so my legs were working.

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
I was nervous about my cardio; I knew a lot of others on the course would probably be a lot fitter than me, I’m strong, I’m fit but i do love weight training and to be fair you don’t do as much cardio as you should when lifting weights. I surprised myself to be fair, with the help of the shouting from the DS and running alongside my fellow recruits I dug deep into myself and my mind and I done just fine, some days were tougher than others, but I always pulled through, while on the course my cardiovascular strengths got stronger everyday literally after day one so all in all I was getting fitter and stronger everyday I was there

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
For me I've always been claustrophobic, and I knew there was going to be something to do with tight space, I just had that feeling. I was dreading it before I arrived . I felt a massive sense of relief when I came out the other end I felt reborn.

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
I would definitely say it’s more mentally tough than physical, it’s the not knowing what's next, not knowing when a task will end, not knowing when you're going to called to the parade square in full uniform and what you'll be doing for the foreseeable future. I mean eating boiled eggs and rice every day for breakfast is mentally tough let alone on the course. It’ amazing to look at s how far can you continue to push yourself through that, that is the challenge.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
The humidity was crazy I mean it was like you just stepped out the shower fully clothed when you came outside in full gear. I was happy for the heat rather than somewhere really cold. I was not prepared for the climate. I knew it would be hot but humid it is very different as you dehydrate very quickly, especially as you’re in full gear and have a Burgen on your back while climbing a mountain. I tried to just hydrate as much as possible but at the same time you need to ration your water supply as you could be out all day

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
They all inspired me in a different ways. The first day I got there, Rudy Reyes gave me a nick name “thickness,” as I was quite hench from the gym. I was like wow he gave me a nick name. I felt privileged by that and the other DS adopted that name for me so it would drive me to keep pushing when they shouted “come on thickness.” I respect all the DS and what they have achieved and what they stand for. They were all different in their techniques, whilst training, pushing you further and encouraging you. They all had their own litle sense of humour.
But definitely the new DS Chris - he was a serious dude, there was no messing about as he would put you through your paces and you do it again and again until it was perfect He would help you to get your head back in the game. Very inspirational!

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
No I came there with an open mind, whoever was leading the course would lead the course, they’re all specialists so I would respect whoever was up there, and I would of gave them all my 100% effort regardless.

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
I learnt from all of them.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
Yes I definitely did form some bonds. There were some cool, like-minded people on the course who I hold very dear to me, friends for life!

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
My biggest fear was small spaces and to be honest I never used to get in lifts or any other small space now.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
My fiancée and my child.

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
The first thing I did was burst in to tears, it was very overwhelming for me and I didn’t want it to be over. All the bonds I had made, the whole experience, just it ending as it did I found it very hard I did feel very broken inside.

What’s the first food you ate?
I had a steak and a rack of ribs and lots of chips I mean a lot of chips the waiter kept bringing these litle baskets of them. I also had an amazing massage which I think was well

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
Amazing, life changing, eventful emotional rollercoaster of a journey, meeting some amazing people, learning new skills from some amazing instructors, experiencing things that money can’t buy on the other side of the world in the middle of a jungle, This opportunity to do it, was a bucket list type of journey, once in a life time!

Would you ever do it again?
No I wouldn't. Its about learning about yourself along the way, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, having a life changing experience, seeing what your capable off as long as you give it 100% of you throughout whenever you leave is a massive achievement as you’ve learnt about yourself and you grow massively as a person.

 

 

 

NAME: Anne
RECRUIT NUMBER: 19
AGE: 41
GENDER: Female
FROM: Rugby, Nuneaton or Coventry… in between all three!
OCCUPATION: Horse Riding Coach, Farmers Wife and Parent
MARITAL STATUS: Married
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: I ride in Team Chases!

Anne is a farmer’s wife and horse-riding coach. She met her husband when she was 17 and they have 2 children. Anne says being a farmer’s wife means she is constantly providing for others and often forgets about what she wants for herself. She also often feels guilty about wanting to do things for herself.

Anne likes to horse ride competitively and is hoping that being put through her paces by the DS will challenge her in a similar way. Anne wants to take on the course to regain more of her own identity and prove to herself that she doesn’t have to be feel guilty for doing things that are just for her.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
You only live once, my motto is to ‘take every opportunity’.
For me it was the excitement, the challenge and the journey. To push my own boundaries to test my own self-doubt.

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
I didn’t really go with any expectations or knowledge of what I would get out of it. Instead I went with an open mind. I had an idea that I wanted to find out about myself and I hoped to reach some sense of achievement.
Above all though, it was just to do something completely and utterly outside my comfort zone!

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
Yes, it was a truly incredible experience. The pressure of the course didn’t come from where I expected it to come from. I thought the physical challenges, or the constant being yelled at would be the hardest. What took me by surprise was all the stuff in between… being on edge, the pressure of the cameras, the lack of control...

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
Emotions can be really, really frustrating and inhibiting! I am now happy just being me. I don’t need approval from others, the only approval I should listen to is from within or from my people… the people I care about and who care about me most. If I was seeking approval when I started, I realised that I already had it… inside. I have found some of my own limits and now I can own them.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
In progress!
I have always had issues with self-confidence. I have never been happy with my body, even when training for this show. I never got to a stage where I felt comfortable with how I looked. That said, I am working to accept that this is me… there is no need for a super slim body, no need for a flat tummy, its ok to have a slightly big bum and hair that does its own thing! This body I have can do some really cool stuff… and I got it SAS: Who Dares Wins fit… and I kept up with the others!
So… I am now quite happy being me… this is me, its who I am and I should embrace it.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
So much training!
I already attended and still do attend a bootcamp session three times a week in my local village park. It’s the bread and butter of the fitness needed for SAS: Who Dares Wins. Burpees, pushups, calisthetics… intense but different everytime.
In the 6/8 weeks before, realising I needed some help, I had two personal training sessions a week. On top of three bootcamp sessions and running with a weighted rucksack. I also kept up with riding horses and doing all my coaching… which keeps me active and on my feet all the time anyway.

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
The physical side of it was a real worry. I am not from a fitness background. One of my biggest achievements was to drag my middle aged, slightly overweight distinctly average body through the intense training required by the show. If I can do it… with hard work and determination, anyone can!

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
I missed home, I really struggled with being away from home for so long. I know that all the time I was away it would be tough for my husband and family… simply because of the pressures and demands of the farm.

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
Mental, it was so much tougher than I expected. Ultimately it was my head that told me to go home, perhaps it was a bit of sanity kicking in…?

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
Heat wasn’t so bad… the humidity however was a killer! It was just draining, even walking out onto the parade square we were dripping in sweat, never mind having to exercise or think clearly in it. Luckily, we had a hot summer in the UK so there was plenty time to train in the heat… I anticipated hot / humid as we had been given jungle boots to break in! My PT made me train in a conservatory, in the heat with all the doors shut… that was invaluable for conditioning though it made the sessions just hideous!

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
Honestly and sadly, no, because I kept my head down.
They do however take fitness to another level…!

Were you surprised by the new DS line up?
Not surprised. They were a brilliant choice, very professional.

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
They are all so level headed, I think I kept some form of barrier up which stopped me making the most of what the DS could offer me.
There is something about the way they hold themselves with an air of confidence that naturally commands a willing respect from others.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
I always try to see the best in everyone. They are a brilliant and diverse group of people. Hand on heart, every person in there was an inspiration in their own way. We have all shared this journey, regardless of how long we lasted in there… I was humbled when Levi shared his story with me. I am in touch with several of the recruits and I know that we will have more adventures ahead!

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
Failing… yes… because I did… (Another work in progress!)

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
My husband, children, family, horses and home.

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
Call my husband from the hotel room. Once home, after seeing family, I went out for a ride on my horse!

What’s the first food you ate?
Cup of tea, then I inhaled a fair few kitkats!

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
Life enhancing, challenging, turbulent, exciting, terrifying, disappointing, surprising and utterly brilliant.

Would you change anything about your time on the course?
Talked to my fellow recruits more, especially when I got emotional. I was there as support for them, but I never turned to them when I needed support.

Would you ever do it again?
OMG YES – obviously I don’t think the chance would ever come up but honestly, I would love to… I would nail it!

 

 

 

NAME: Charlotte
RECRUIT NUMBER: 20
AGE: 27
GENDER: Female
FROM: Leeds
OCCUPATION: Performance and Lifestyle Nutritionist
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried, in a long term relationship
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: I dived (the sport) in a display for the queen during her 2012 jubilee tour. I run ultramarathons for fun.
Charlotte has her own nutrition consultancy business and helps elite athletes to perform at their best in competitions. Charlotte was born into a very competitive family, with 3 sisters who excelled at swimming, whilst Charlotte preferred 10m diving and running ultra-marathons.

Three years ago, Charlotte was raped and subsequently suffered severe panic attacks and depression. As a result, she has a huge trust issues and wants to break this down and move forward. Charlotte also struggles to maintain social connections and automatically assumes that people are going to let her down. She wants to take on the course to expand her horizons and looks forward to being surrounded by people and knowing that they’ll have her back.

Why did you decide to take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
To be honest, I love rolling around in the mud and adrenaline fuelled activities, it’s right up my street! I also knew that I had some demons that I needed to face up to!

What did you hope to get out of this experience?
I hoped to find a wonderful group of friends and learn to trust people again. I’ve never really felt like I fit in, but when I was thrown together with the rest of the recruits, it just seemed to work. We’re a big group of self-proclaimed misfits and I think that’s what makes it feel effortless.
I wanted to feel like people had my back no matter what and that’s honestly what I felt. I also hoped to leave with a renewed sense of self confidence, the belief that I could do all of the things I know I’ve been holding myself back from over the past few years, which I think was only ever going to happen if I really got to revisit some difficult feelings.

Did it meet your expectations? What was different? What was as expected? And why?
SAS: Who Dares Wins surpassed my expectations, even though I didn’t meet the expectations I have for myself. I expected it to be hard. Under normal circumstances, I can take myself out of the situation or give myself 5 minutes just to calm down, but when you’re in the midst of it and expected to pick a fellow recruit up again and run with her on your back, there is nowhere quiet to escape to. I did get to face those difficult feelings again and I am so much stronger for it. I wasn’t expecting such a profound effect in such a short time. In the ‘real’ world, you can sort of get close to those difficult feelings with therapy, etc, but you never quite get to touch them again.... It made me really LOOK at every single aspect of those feelings, including the bits I’d avoided looking at over the past few years. When I got home I was finally able to work through, talk through and explore all of those feelings to really get to understand what they were, why they were there and why they hit me so hard.

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
I think I learned just how far I’ve come in the past few years. There was a time when I would have had a panic attack just filling out the application for SAS: Who Dares Wins. I’m proud of how much I’ve grown and changed. I also had some realisations about my values, needs and ultimately what I want out of my life. Now that I’m back to real life, I’ve started to make those changes to live a more value aligned, content life.

Did you manage to confront and rid yourself of any demons whilst on the course? What happened?
The demons were definitely faced! While I’m not sure I got rid of them all I’m definitely one step closer to moving past them.

How did you prepare for the course? Any particular training?
I run ultra distance, so was doing a lot of running and endurance-based exercise anyway. I turned my focus to include more strength, swimming and high intensity, speed and anaerobic based work too.
I also added in more hiking and running with weight.
I knew that I was nervous about having a panic attack, especially in relation to feeling like I couldn’t breathe and being blindfolded or hooded. I sat with a pillowcase over my head and my swimming goggles on for hours to learn how to be ok with this... not quite the normal training for SAS: Who Dares Wins but it paid off!

What part of the course were you most nervous about before the course? Was it as bad as you expected or were you pleasantly surprised by your strength?
I was worried about my upper body strength. As someone who mostly runs, I know upper body strength isn’t my forte. It was just as abysmal as I expected!
I was also nervous about being hooded and blindfolded as I worried it could trigger a panic attack. Thankfully my preparation for this worked and it was ok!

Which part of the course did you find the hardest?
Physically, carrying weight was tough! As a pretty small, not very heavy person, any weight added to me is a substantial percentage of my body weight so even things like wet boots and wet clothing were heavy. Add in a soaking wet bergen and it’s a lot.

Mentally, I found the implication that we were never doing well enough and never being sure where the goal posts were, really tough. If I was told something directly, that wasn’t right, say my laces being undone or a bit of kit not being right, that was fine because I could just fix it. However, the general vibe of “you’re not doing well enough, be better,” (which, let’s face it, was probably partly self-inflicted) was tough to navigate and brought up a lot of difficult feelings.

Mental or physical – which did you find the most challenging?
The mental aspects of the course were definitely the most challenging for me.

How did you cope with the humid Vietnamese heat? Were you prepared for the climate?
It wasn’t as awful as I’d expected! It was hard, but once you got used to the fact that you and everyone else around you were going to be a sweat soaked mess, 24/7, you forgot about it and just got on with the job! I did a lot of temperature acclimation prior to the course so I felt pretty comfortable going into the heat and humidity.

Tell us about your experience under the Directing Staff? Did any of them surprise/inspire/change your life?
The DS were so kind to me, I was surprised at how caring and compassionate they were. They saw instantly that there was a personal internal battle I was fighting and they just knew how to respond to it to get the best out of me.

Were you surprised by the new DS line up? 
I wasn’t surprised that Billy was the chief instructor, I think he was a fantastic choice! Each of the DS brings their own knowledge, experience and skill sets.

What did you learn or take from each of the DS?
Firstly, they’re a whole lot bigger and more physically imposing in real life! I wasn’t there long enough to spend much time with the DS, but one thing they did teach me is that everybody fits in somewhere. You don’t have to be the biggest or the strongest to be a valuable part of the team. Everybody has their strengths and everybody’s strengths are important.

Did you form any close bonds with your fellow recruits?
Yes, wow, what phenomenal friendships! I’ve kept in touch with most people but especially with Pete, Anne, Grant and Ross since finishing the course. I can’t wait for the plans the group has for 2023! My mum passed away shortly after the course and pretty much everyone reached out with so much love, compassion and kindness. I feel really lucky to have met such a great bunch.

What is your biggest fear? Is that still the case?
I have 2 huge fears, the first is being trampled to death by a cow. I don’t think that one will ever go away! The second is being taken advantage of. While I think a healthy level of fear still lingers there, I have so much more confidence in the goodness of people.

What did you miss the most while you were in Vietnam?
My boyfriend, my Mum, and my dog, Finn.

What’s the first thing you did when you finished the course?
Cried, got in the shower, then covered my legs in antiseptic cream. After that, I knew I wasn’t ‘done’ physically and wanted to make the most of my time in Vietnam, so I borrowed a bicycle and did a 2 hour round trip to the Hang Mua Viewpoint. It was pretty magical!
When I got back home, I fell asleep by 5pm, slept through my boyfriend clattering about making dinner and woke up at 10am the next day.

What’s the first food you ate?
Something that wasn’t rice! I can’t really remember! I did have a Bahn Mi before I left, hands down one of the best things to eat in Vietnam!

Summarise your whole SAS: Who Dares Wins experience?
Life changing. I loved the whole experience from start to finish and while I wasn’t there as long as I would have liked, I wouldn’t change it for anything. I got to regain my faith in people, confront my demons head on.

Would you change anything about your time on the course?
Yes, if I were to do it again I’d definitely manage my anxieties differently.

Would you ever do it again?
Yes, sign me up for season 9.

~ENDS~

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