Former Cornwall army cadet, Justine Pellew-Harvey, is to appear on the upcoming Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins. She headed into the wilds of Scotland to be put through the toughest and most unforgiving selection course yet.
The TV programme shows ex-special forces soldiers putting recruits through the SAS selection process. Looking for the kind of recruit that can handle anything thrown at them, the DS pit them against each other. Tasks include racing up a 4000-foot mountain, followed by a 100-foot abseil off an oil rig.
Justine said: “It had always been my dream of being on SAS: Who Dares Wins! I had been a fan of the show since I was 14 and the second I turned 18 my first thought was ‘ohh!! I can apply for SAS!’ And quite frankly I never believed I’d be selected because of the sheer number of applications the show’s production team receive.
“But I got in and all I can say is I wasn’t the same person I was on day one by the end, that’s for sure. It changed my perspective on pretty much everything in life.”
Read more: Paralympian Lauren Steadman on being an athlete, Strictly and SAS: Who Dares Wins
Army Cadet training
Justine had been in the Army Cadets with the Falmouth detachment, which she said helped her with her experience on SAS: Who Dares Wins. She became a Lord Lieutenant Cadet, an honoured position.
“My time in the Army Cadet Force definitely helped me on the course,” she said. “In terms of the military discipline aspect: the shouting, the time management, organising kit, the leadership tasks, respecting higher ranking staff, navigation tasks – four years in the cadets definitely came in handy!”
Justine went on to attend the challenging cadet exchange at Whitehorse Cadets Summer Training Centre in Canada. She was awarded the Top UK cadet and was invited back to help instruct the next year’s cadets.
Justine said: “The speed marches with heavy rucks are obviously a lot harder to do when you are soaked, hungry, exhausted and have nothing to look forward to. But doing Ten Tors training for two years (34 and 45-mile marches across Dartmoor in two days with 15-20kg rucksacks) also helped me massively, mentally. As did my experience going on the Canadian expedition exchange program, also run by the Cadet force, in the Yukon Territory in Northern Canada.
“I’m beyond excited for the series to air. It’s definitely different to any of the previous series filmed!”
SAS: Who Dares Wins begins Sunday, May 9 at 9pm on Channel 4.
If you want to learn about being an Army Cadet, go to www.armycadets.com
