SAS Australia went there: The question no woman should have to answer

Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice was put in the hot seat after dislocating her shoulder, but what happened afterwards made viewers disappointed.

The gruelling challenges under which the SAS contestants have been placed aren’t easing up. 

Still, what appears to be more confronting than the physicality of the course is the mental and emotional turmoil each celebrity is placed under.

The goal is clearly to push contestants to the limits in every way possible.

“This course is chewing people up and spitting them out,” shared Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham and contestant.

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Is this goodbye?

In tonight’s episode, it was Stephanie Rice’s turn to dive right in and confront a problematic reality.

The former competitive swimmer, who achieved international recognition by winning three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, dislocated her shoulder in a challenge, leaving viewers and the SAS team wondering if this spelled the end of her journey.

But after having it popped back in by the show’s doctors, Steph returned to camp via a trip to the hospital for scans and the all-clear.

SAS Australia is more than just a physical challenge. It's a mental game, too. Source: Instagram

A tough conversation

Before returning to the group of other celebs, Steph had a confronting chat with Chief Instructor Ant Middleton that left viewers feeling disappointed.

When asked what kept her in the course, Steph shared that she lacked a sense of purpose and direction after hanging up her swimmers and retiring from the sport a decade ago.

“You telling me for ten years you’ve just been cruising along?” asked Ant, and it was here she revealed she doesn’t know if she’ll ever fill the hole swimming left in her life.

We’re sure it was coming from a place of understanding, but the next question pulled at the heartstrings of Steph and viewers alike.

“[Have you] got kids or a partner,” he asked. Or are you “by yourself?”

A sense of sadness washed over the gold medalist as she replied, “It would be nice to have someone.”

“What have you got back home?” he followed.

“At the moment, not a lot,” she revealed. “I need this.”

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You can do it, Steph! Source: Channel 7

One doesn't lead to another

Viewers couldn’t help but feel disappointed that the former elite athlete put her dismay in her lack of purpose and direction down to being single and child-free.

In her mid-30s, it’s easy to feel the pressure from society and oneself that the clock is ticking to find a partner and start a family, especially if those around you are doing just that.

Support of the nation

But support poured in across social media, with Aussies rallying behind her.

“You’re an inspiration. You were before this. Smashing it, amazing,” commented one fan.

“Woman crush ten years ago, woman crush still now! 😍👏 Get it, Steph! We’re backing you!” said another.

Purpose is more than settling down

We hope if Steph takes anything away from her experience on the show, it’s that purpose is not dependent on your marital status and number of children one has.

Often, we put pressure on ourselves that attaining certain things will help us discover who we are, which is often not the case.

The desert seems exactly where Steph needs to be to realise her strength and the many people she has inspired.

Originally published as SAS Australia went there: The question no woman should have to answer