SAS Australia: Women competitors tough it out with no regrets

Despite the hurdles constantly thrown right at them, by men twice their size, women competitors are dominating in this year’s SAS Australia. Here’s why they have no regrets.

They’re the women taking on SAS – and dominating. Whether its hanging from a helicopter, death by drowning or buckling under double their body weight, they haven’t backed down – despite the hurdles constantly thrown right at them, day and night, by men twice their size.

Olympian mother of four Jana Pittman wet her pants on a run – par of the course she says, of having had a baby just six months before. She was stripped naked, leaky boobs and all, and grappled with whether her post-partum body could hold up under such turmoil.

So great was the physical and emotional toll that when finally reunited with her family, they all just cried.

“It was largely because I had said yes the previous year and then I was pregnant that I even agreed to do it that close to having a baby,” she told The Sunday Telegraph.

“Ideally, I would have waited 12 months.
“I cried all the way to the venue because I was like ‘I can’t believe I’m leaving my baby’. “But it was something I have always wanted to do.”

Jana Pittman wet herself while running on SAS.

Pittman, who graduated as a doctor in 2019 and currently works in as resident medical officer in obstetrics at Blacktown Hospital, says deep down, the experience changed her – and her life – for the better.

“I got to the point in the show where I thought wow, I am more capable then I thought I was – but the result of that was that I don’t need to chase success as much as I did in the past, in my life before SAS,” she said.

“So I am now working part time this year and the whole of next year so that I can be with my children more.

“All of a sudden I’ve turned the dial down on what I think is important – and family and their prospects of their future life is now more important to me than my own.

Jana Pittman recently had a baby. Picture: Jeremy Grieve

“I’ve always been the dream chaser who has taken on 100 million things at the same time and tried to be very successful and I realised that I don’t think that to be happy – and that has absolutely made me happier.

“And my kids are happier – I have more time for them.

“I didn’t miss my son’s first crawl and the first time he stood up and his first tooth and all that because I was working all the time.

“I can promise you, I would never have done that 10 years ago.”

Pittman, who has joined the Army Reserves since shooting SAS, said while wetting herself on national TV was embarrassing, she didn’t shy away from highlighting it simply as part of motherhood – and that was something to be celebrated.

“One of my biggest worries was that my body wouldn’t be up for the challenge … and I think it’s important we acknowledge women aren’t meant to be running hurdles and carrying huge logs six months after having a child,” she said.

“And yes, you sneeze and pee ourselves or jump on the trampoline and it happens again, but ultimately, it’s a normal thing and it’s part of the gift of giving life and I feel incredibly privileged that my body does show and wear the scars of motherhood, because sometimes I need that reminder.”

This week there are 14 recruits still on course – six of them female – including tennis Champion Alicia Molik.

Mother of two Alicia Molik completes one of the tough courses.

The mother of two said she had no regrets from the show – even after being abused by chief instructor Ant Middleton for showboating last week.

“I’m proud of what I did and I’m proud of the way I reacted,” she said.

“I’ve not a single regret about it, because that’s me.

“That was my instinctive reaction and I wouldn’t take it back.

“Yes I suffer the consequences and he was pretty hard on me, to be honest with you.

“I was always going to attempt everything – if someone else is doing it, my attitude is always I can do that too.

“You need to get through what’s right in front of you right here, right now – do the best you can and then worry about what happens next.”
The bond between the female contestants continues, with the group staying in touch, messaging and supporting each other since shooting in April.

That meant a lot to northern beaches 56-year-old Kerri Pottharst, who wanted to prove age was never a barrier to greatness.

Kerri Pottharst pushes herself to the limit on SAS.

The volleyball player, Olympic gold medallist and mother to 15-year-old Tyson, said it was often fear that held women back – and that had to change.

“The whole reason that I’ve done this experience is because I want to prove to women, particularly around my age group, that there’s so much more we can do, but we’re holding ourselves back,” she said.

“It's our fear and doubt about our ability or being too old – and that’s exactly why I wanted to prove that, I had a place in this group to represent women of my age.

“Overall, I 100 per cent feel like I did what I set out to do.

“I challenged myself to do something that even I thought was impossible – even when I was first approached by Jana with the opportunity to go on the show, I actually started writing out the message, oh, no, thanks very much.

“I thought I was way too old and broken.

“And that was the pivotal moment – that was the moment where I could have gone with my doubt and then always regretted that I never said yes.

“The women on the on the show were an incredible bunch of ladies to say yes and do something like that which is normally a man’s world – I think having the courage to say yes was the first big step.

“We’ve all become friends, and hopefully will be for a long time.”

Ant Middleton speaks to the recruits, which include six women left.

Darwin 31-year-old Jessica Peris and Melbourne singer Bonnie Anderson join Sydney actor Isabelle Cornish to round out the final six females on the course.

Cornish, 26, lives by the motto you only live once, give it a go – her motivator for trying the course in the first place.

“Getting to do cool shit like jump out of helicopters, get submerged in a car, shoot blank weapons … I love that stuff,” she said.

“I also loved the mental stimulation … the tasks helped me to train in staying focused and gaining control over my mind.

“I would one hundred per cent do it again, but injury free next time.”

Ant Middleton said for both men and women, success was mind over matter.

“I don’t care what race, religion or gender you are on this course, but this year some of the women surprised me,” he said.

“Some of the smaller women on the course, they’re tough cookies.

“You think ‘how are you still here?’, while some of the big burly men break psychologically and go.

“It doesn’t matter how tough and strong you are, it’s all to do with headspace and mindset.”

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Originally published as SAS Australia: Women competitors tough it out with no regrets