Pic: Channel 4
BEING forced to jump from a bridge into the Amazon River before getting handcuffed, blindfolded and interrogated in the Ecuadorian jungle sounds like a holiday from hell – but for Dulwich Hamlet captain Marc Weatherstone it was something to sign up for.
The 28-year-old is in the second series of Channel 4's hit programme SAS: Who Dares Wins. It puts 25 men through some of the toughest military training in the world, with recruits pushed to their limits physically and mentally.
After watching the first series where candidates went through training in Wales, Weatherstone decided to apply to see how he would fare.
“I liked the challenge of it,” he told The NLP. “At the time I didn't know it was in the jungle! It's more intense than they show.
“They film 24 hours a day and they only show an hour. So there's a lot the viewer misses out on. It's the toughest, but best, thing I've ever done.
“I'm not a massive fan of heights and we had to jump off a 30-metre high bridge into the Amazon River and knowing there were anacondas in there, it wasn't nice! But it was a great experience – once-in-a-lifetime stuff.”
A big part of SAS selection is how soldiers withstand interrogation and intense questioning. Weatherstone got to experience it firsthand.
He had a hood put over his head and was led into a brightly lit room where two staff sergeants were waiting to quiz him.
“I actually enjoyed that,” he said. “After watching the first series that was the one thing I was looking forward to the most.
“I wanted to see how I coped with a bag over my head, getting walked into a room with bright lights. It was quite refreshing. I didn't know where I was going, they sit you down and throw questions at you.
Tough Nut
“It's intense. You half wonder if you're saying the right thing, but you've got to be honest while they stare at you with no emotion – it puts you on the back foot a bit.
“I've always been strong. I've been captain for many years – at Wingate and now with Dulwich. You've got to be mentally strong for yourself and the team.
“I'm a ginger lad so you get a bit of abuse from the sidelines. But that abuse has always spurred me on. The show is a different mentality.
“The physical side and all the running didn't bother me. It was the mental side of the heat and humidity as well as being in and out of the water all the time.”
Back in safer surroundings, the defender is partway into his first season with Ryman Premier promotion hopefuls Hamlet after nine years – and more than 400 appearances – at Wingate & Finchley.
“I'm not a massive fan of changes so it was a big decision for me,” he said. “But I'm not getting any younger and I thought I needed another challenge and see another Non-League club.
“The expectations are high this year. For me, we haven't started anywhere near as well as we should have, but we're improving all the time. The bare minimum is play-offs. We're well capable of that, but we need to get a good run together.”
