Anna Heinrich never wanted to go on SAS Australia. In fact, even being asked to give the gruelling two-week course a try made her heart race.
But after some long conversations with her husband, Tim Robards, the 35-year-old knew it was something she had to do to end the crippling self-doubt she’d been feeling for years.
“I didn’t feel like I needed to go on another reality show, that wasn’t it for me. It was more about how I could benefit personally and use that after the show,” Anna tells TV WEEK.
Once Anna made the decision to enter the course she had one month to prepare.
(Image: Seven)“I wanted to gain confidence in myself but also, I wanted to be able to put that onto my daughter, and be able to have these conversations about who she is and what she’s capable of when she’s old enough.”
This week on the show, viewers will get to see how much of a transformative experience the course was for Anna.
Impressing Ant Middleton and the directional staff with her tenacity in each difficult challenge, it’s hard to imagine she ever felt like she wasn’t up for the task.
Once Anna made the decision to enter the course she had one month to prepare, putting her trust into her exercise scientist husband.
Anna and her husband Tim Robards share one-year-old daughter Elle.
(Image: Instagram)“I had to put my pride aside and let him take over, because normally that’s not how it goes around here,” she laughs.
“I said to him, I’m going to listen to you and I want you to tell me exactly what to do. I pushed myself as much as I could, and after four weeks I felt like a different person.”
From going to weighted runs, pull-ups to answering’s questions in ice baths, the couple tailored Anna’s training as much as they could to prepare her for the harsh environment.
While she felt prepared physically, nothing could have prepared her for the challenge in being apart from her 10-month-old daughter, Elle.
“That was easily the hardest thing. Thankfully I had my husband who I knew was extremely capable but I’d only ever been away from her for one night,” she says.
“Every time her name was mentioned, I would breakdown. I had to try not to think about her too much, and just know she’s going to be okay.”
When her time on the course came to an end, the reunion between mother and daughter was something she’ll never forget.
“It was incredible. I’m not sure whether or not she missed me, but it was just one of those emotional moments. Obviously, it was great seeing Tim too but seeing Elle and the little smile on her face was incredible.”
Watch SAS Australia Mondays and Tuesdays 7.30pm on Channel Seven.
