Triathlon: Sam Humphrey TRI's and succeeds in completing SAS training

Completing SAS training, Sam Humphrey (Yeovil based team TRI UK Gatorade) battled it out on the BBC 2 TV show 'SAS - Are You Tough Enough?' Sam provides us with an insight into the trials and tribulations of the programme.

Coming from a background in cycling, having won the National Mountain Bike Championships and coming 5th at the World Championships, Sam fought through a period of ME after which he moved into triathlon where he has been competing for the past 4 years, more recently in 2004 becoming a member of Europe's most successful triathlon team, TRI UK Gatorade.

The programme 'SAS - Are You Tough Enough?' presented by Dermot O'Leary on BBC 2 at 9pm on Sundays, takes the participants through the mental and physical rigors of an SAS selection-training programme. Through the programme fit members of the public are put through navigation exercises, combat training, endurance tests, survival techniques and interrogation.

Add to that the extreme heat and humidity of Namibia, the insects, dangerous animals, abrasive living conditions as well as the strong arm of the ex-SAS instructors, who keep the contestants on the straight and narrow, and are more than willing to dish out punishments for the slightest misdemeanour. It is a true test of anyone's physical and mental capabilities.

On return from Namibia, Sam attended the TRI UK Gatorade team and sponsorship launch where he highlights how the experience began: "After watching the 2003 SAS programme based in the jungle, I soon had the application form for the 2004 series and all to soon was on my way to the studios in London for the start of the programme. A plane and bus ride later and it felt like we were as far away from civilisation as you could possibly be with a 360 degree view of sand dunes."

"After an introductory 'welcome' from the instructors, the first exercise was a combat fitness test where the instructors asked us to 'run until we tell you stop', in the blistering heat and with a road that seemed to stretch forever. 10km later we stopped, which for all we knew could have been 100km. Throughout the following weeks, we were put through the toughest training programme on the planet with the original 24 contestants whittled down to the final four through voluntary withdrawals, on medical grounds or dismissed by the instructors. The training included 24 hr endurance and operational exercises including the infamous interrogation session where 18 drastically fell to 11with 7 members dropping out, inter dispersed with lectures and teaching of the skills we would need for future operations, all done with little or no sleep and in the planets harshest environments, you could say it was a challenge..."

"In the last throws of the programme when there was still 6 of us still on the training programme, I hit a real low point with the blisters on my feet becoming increasingly painful with a 36 hr mission ahead of us. Down to 4 and the pressure was starting to show between the finalists when we were driven to a local air base and it was announced that we would be doing an accelerated skydive. With fatigue and hunger rife in the team it was a struggle to keep our eyes open during the training and safety sessions. When I spoke out about doing something so dangerous in the state we were in I was nominated as spokesman and I approached the instructors, only to find that due to high winds and a recommendation by the skydiver instructor, the jump had been delayed until the next day when after a bit of food and sleep we all jumped without hesitation."

"With the final mission and the training complete, I had survived 3 weeks of training which was my goal from the outset. The programme has really put things into perspective and improved my self-confidence no end. I can see the early training sessions being a lot easier now and am looking forward to carrying this success through the 2004 triathlon season with the TRI UK Gatorade race team."