SAS Australia is not for the faint hearted, and although the show is entering its fourth season this doesn’t mean the contestants will be aware of the trials.
This competition isn’t a battle of physical strength, but it also forces the contestants to look deep inside themselves – a task not everyone is capable of doing.
The 2023 season is led by SAS Chief Instructor Ant Middleton alongside directing staff Ollie Ollerton, Jamie “Jay” Morton and Anthony “Staz” Stazicker.
From Olympic champions to convicted criminals, 14 recruits will enter Jordan’s Wadi Rum Desert for 10 days in order to face some of the most brutal challenges.
So, which of these unfortunate souls are strong enough to win the competition?
Continue reading to find out who of the original SAS Australia 2023 contestants have either been eliminated or voluntarily decided to leave the competition.
Mahalia Murphy
Mahalia Murphy
International rugby star Mahalia Murphy voluntarily withdrew from the course after her body could not handle the extremely difficult challenge – carry 40 litres of water to the top of a steep dune.
Mahalia’s body broke down and she was the tenth recruit to leave SAS Australia.
Craig McLachlan
Craig McLachlan
Craig was the ninth recruit to leave the course. After the challenge, Craig asked to see the doctor about the pain in his stomach in which he then handed over his armband.
Zima Anderson
Zima Anderson
Former Neighbours star was medically withdrawn from the contest after a terrifying fall which had everyone holding their breath.
While preparing to jump from a tower into the water, Zima awkwardly fell and suffered a small fracture to her elbow and wrist. She was taken to hospital.
Peter Bol
Peter Bol
Olympic runner Peter Bol called it quits on SAS after fearing he would obtain an injury during the race.
“I’ve got world champs this year. I’ve got the Olympics next year. I was fourth in Tokyo. I don’t want to be fourth again,” he said.
“The Olympics only comes every four years. That fear of not being able to perform when it matters the most, that worries me a bit… I don’t want to put myself at risk physically because I still have to go out there and compete for the country. If you’re going against the best in the world, you need every single one per cent.”
Anthony Mundine
Anthony Mundine
After claiming he would be exiting the competition multiple times, Anthony actually exited the show in the second week.
The boxing champion deemed he was “ready to go” after unsuccessfully completing a course where he failed to navigate co-star Abbey Holmes to safety.
“I feel like a failure to myself. I’m too competitive… I’m ready to go now,” Anthony said.
He was the sixth contestant to leave the competition.
Stephanie Rice
Stephanie Rice
For the first time in SAS Australia history, Ant acknowledged Stephanie Rice’s resilience by dismissing her from the course due to an injury.
“I just felt like I could’ve kept going. Like, I don’t feel like I’ve learnt [enough] about myself. But being able to leave with my number feels special. I’m really proud of that. I think the lesson for me is knowing that there will be more opportunities and be okay with this moment right here, right now,” she said.
Cassie Sainsbury
Cassie Sainsbury
In the second episode of the 2023 season, an incredible three shocks exits occurred.
Cassie was the third to depart in the second episode of SAS Australia after refusing to participate in the underground pipeline challenge due to her claustrophobia.
When Cassie confessed she couldn’t continue, Ant told said she was “officially off the course.”
Lindy Klim
Lindy Klim
Businesswoman, Lindy was the second to leave the series after feeling like a “fish out of water.”
“I have no idea what I’m doing here,” she said.
Boyd Cardner
Boyd Cardner
NRL legend, Boyd was the second to exit the show – first of three exits in episode two – after tearing his pectoral muscle during the Run and Jump Extraction challenge.
SAS Chief Medic Dr Dan was forced to make a difficult call, and made the decision for Boyd to withdraw from the competition.
Jason Akermanis
Jason Akermanis
Jason, AFL hall of fame star, was the first recruit to depart the series. After intense foot pain and refusing to take medication, he voluntarily walked out.
“I’ve got out exactly what I’ve hoped to get out. I didn’t leave injured — that injured,” Jason said,