Paralympian takes on unique TV challenge

Former Clere School student Jonathan Broom-Edwards loves a challenge.

He was born with a condition called congenital talipes equinovarus, but didn't let that stop him from becoming a starring member of Loughborough University's basketball team.

In 2009, he discovered a new talent for high jump and won his first international medal in 2013, winning silver at the 2013 IPC Athletic World Championship in Lyon.

Two World Championship medals soon followed, as well as a silver at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

Following an 18 month lay-off due to a ruptured Achilles, he stormed back to win gold at the 2019 Dubai World Championships and then the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

A week after he returned from winning Paralympic gold, he was contacted to ask if he'd be interested in taking part in Channel 4's hit show, Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.

Five-and-a-half weeks later he found himself face down in the Wadi Rum Desert, Jordan, along with 13 other celebrities including Love Island's Amber Gill, EastEnders star Maisie Smith and Olympic silver medallist Fatima Whitbread.

Thus Broom-Edwards, who was made an MBE in the New Year's Honours, prepared to take on perhaps his most difficult – and certainly his most unique – challenge yet.

In the first of seven episodes on Sunday night, the 34-year-old was exposed to gas, went toe-to-to with Olympic sprinter Dwain Chambers in a no holds barred boxing match, and was subjected to the show's infamous 'beasting'.

The first torment the recruits were put through was what the instructors – elite former US and British soldiers and marines – call the 'sugar cookie'.

Broom-Edwards and his fellow celebrities were made to submerge themselves in water before covering themselves head to toe in sand.

"I think the aim is to demoralise, to make us feel uncomfortable," Broom-Edwards said.

"We had to jump into a freezing cold plunge pool and then roll in the sand, the instructors weren't happy until we had sand filling every orifice we had.

"We had to rub it in our hair, down our back, it was gross, absolutely gross, it wasn't the best feeling in the world."

The 14 recruits then faced a challenge that asked them to break out of a compound while exposed to gas.

He said: "Before the gassing, we had to run a few miles whilst wearing the gas masks.

"If you took a deep a breath it became impossible to breathe, we were running without any oxygen, so we arrived at the gas chamber absolutely battered.

"As soon as I took the mask off when I got into the gas chamber, I've never experienced such sheer panic.

"I literally thought I was going to die, I knew I desperately needed to get out of there.

"I was trying to go against my inhibitions, to remain calm.

"The door was locked so we had to bundle out of the window, it was horrible.

"I think it was the ugliest I've ever looked, I'm still recovering!"

Next up for the para-athlete was a one on one boxing contest with Olympian Dwain Chambers.

"None of us wanted to fight each other, but we knew we had to give it 100 per cent," he said.

"I turned to Dwain and said, 'it was nice knowing you mate.'"

"We had quite a good tussle, he knocked a few brain cells out of me I must admit.

"We hugged it out, we had a laugh about it, if anything it strengthened our bond."

Even in their downtime, the celebrities are subjected to a lack of food, sleep and amenities and have to contend with the constant threat of being forced out onto the parade square to face a 'beasting'.

He said: "We're constantly on edge, there were only a couple of times when we felt calm and relaxed, when we were in the cars between tasks and when someone was in the interrogation room.

"We'd get tucked into our sleeping bags at night and then be dragged out to the parade square.

"You're stripped of creature comforts, we had a toothbrush, some toothpaste, a bar of soap and some plasters, even the water started to run out."

The celebrities will continue to be put to the test tonight as Broom-Edwards and his fellow recruits are pushed to their physical and mental limits once again on Channel 4 at 9pm.