Anthony Mundine, Mahalia Murphy among the recruits in 2023 season of SAS Australia

Former star Dragon Anthony Mundine and one-time NRLW player Mahalia Murphy are among the latest intake of celebrities testing themselves on the newest series of SAS Australia. And there's no cushy Aussie environment for this year's hopefuls - they're in the Middle East.

As well as former world boxing champ Mundine and dual rugby and rugby league international Murphy are Olympians Matthew Mitcham, Stephanie Rice and Peter Bol; the woman dubbed 'Cocaine Cassie', Balinese princess Lindy Klim, Thai cave rescue hero Dr Craig Challen and Brownlow medallist Jason Akermanis are just some of the 14 starters.

For the first time on SAS Australia, these men and women will travel offshore to a secret base in the Jordanian desert where they will eat, sleep and train together in punishingly hot conditions without allowances for their celebrity status or gender.

Chief Instructor Ant Middleton is joined by three former special forces operatives in dealing with the "new recruits".

Follow the recruits as they try to survive 10 days and nights in Jordan. Their camp is grim - from a drop toilet to a single bucket of cold water for a shower and stretcher beds over a sand floor - they endure scorching days in the desert and freezing cold nights.

Then there's the tasks. They can voluntarily withdraw from the course. Some will suffer injuries and be medically withdrawn, and some will last 10 days.

The star recruits attempting to pass selection on the 2023 season of SAS Australia are:

Murphy made her Dragons NRLW debut in round 1 of the 2020 season, coming off the bench in a 18-4 loss to the Sydney Roosters. She now plays for the Parramatta Eels.

Why did you want to enlist in SAS Australia?

I wanted to experience a different challenge and a different environment.

How would you describe your experience on the course?

A lot of mental and physical challenges. But now that it's done, I can say I really enjoyed the experience overall.

What training did you do in preparation?

I didn't really do too much preparation as I was having my first proper football off-season for the first time in eight years. But I did some walking with a bag full of water bottles in boots and a tracksuit. I did go to the gym here and there to keep some strength up.

When did it hit home the course was 100% real?

As soon as the DS met us in person and bagged our heads then buried us alive.

Was SAS more or less challenging than you expected?

More challenging. I felt like everything was so full-on. Mentally, you had to be prepared to be on the go at any time. The whole environment was tough: the heat, sand dunes, challenges of the course and doing brutal tasks back to back.

What was the highlight of this process for you and why?

The way everyone got around each other even though it was competitive.

What were the hardest things about this process for you?

Reflecting on my childhood experiences because it wasn't easy to talk about and feel those emotions when sharing.

What did you learn about yourself through this experience?

Mental strength can get you anywhere.

Would you ever do it again?

100%. I would love to.

They call this the toughest test - agree?

I agree. You are not prepared enough and you don't know what to expect. It pushes your mind and body to the limits.

This is the first Australian series shot in the Middle East. Describe the climate and terrain on the course.

It was absolutely hot! The sand dunes were tough. It made every part of the body switch on and burn whilst running. Felt like you were on a treadmill.

What advice would you give to future SAS recruits?

Do it! Do lots of trail running whilst carrying some weight in a backpack, strength training and seek mindset coaching.

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