A footballer and model from Worcestershire has signed up for a popular challenging reality show.
Bretforton resident Jamie Clarke has been announced as one of 20 new recruits who will be tested to their limits in the upcoming series of SAS: Who Dares Wins.
The 32-year-old was born profoundly deaf and is hoping to use the show to raise awareness about the challenges deaf people face on a daily basis.
He said: “What I was hoping to get out of this experience was to hopefully raise awareness of deaf people and how we communicate and struggle on a daily basis.”
Mr Clarke added he also wanted to test himself, explaining: “I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and face these difficult challenges.
“Prove to myself and others that being completely deaf doesn’t mean that I am any different to anyone else and I am able to compete just as well as anyone else.”
Mr Clarke is currently captain of both the England and Great Britain deaf football teams.
Over the years he has played in several major tournaments including the World Cup, Deaflympics and Euro Champs, and he is the highest scorer in the GB deaf football team’s history.
Last summer, he signed for Pershore Town FC and has so far scored 10 goals during the Plums’ impressive campaign.
READ MORE: England and Great Britain Deaf captain Clarke joins Pershore's promotion quest
He chooses not to wear a cochlear implant as he says he enjoys the peacefulness of silence.
However, Mr Clarke revealed he is nervous about getting stuck in the dark as he would not be able to communicate with the other recruits or operatives.
“I obviously can’t hear, so not being able to see anything is the worst thing ever,” he said.
“One of the tasks on the course was crawling through a tunnel in pitch black. It was quite scary because the tunnel was getting smaller and smaller toward the end, but thankfully I remained calm and positive.”
The new series of SAS: Who Dares Wins takes place in Thung Ui in North Vietnam.
Mark “Billy” Billingham will lead as chief of the directing staff as he is an expert in jungle warfare having spent half his military career serving in this terrain.
He will be joined by new DS member Chris Oliver and former members Jason “Foxy” Fox and Rudy Reyes from the US.
SAS: Who Dares Wins – Jungle Hell launches on Channel 4 on Monday, January 23 at 9pm.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel