“It didn’t really bother me because I’m used to it with my teammates. “I don’t know how women’s sport gets out of this slump, because you’re asking sponsors to support something that actually now you can’t go and watch.”. Fisher, who has alopecia, stepped back from the England sevens programme in 2018 to “mentally recharge” and took part in the reality TV show Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins. The dozen participants include former athletes, a handful of reality stars and even an ex-MP. But physically I think I held my own quite well, to be fair. Fisher, 36, had hoped to retire after the Tokyo Olympics this summer, but with coronavirus pushing the Games back until July next year, her ambitions to wear the Great Britain vest have been thrown a curveball. They’ll be living and surviving together in an unforgiving ex-military base, high in the Chilean Andes. 13.9k Followers, 1,118 Following, 311 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Heather Fisher (@heatherfish29) “They’ve importantly turned up to raise money for SU2C but also to learn something about themselves by facing extreme experiences.”. Here We Go Again actor Jeremy Irvine and TV presenters Andrea McLean, AJ Odudu and Jeff Brazier. If you’re in a sport where, financially it pays, you can probably have those conversations with your coach, opt out and come back next season. Are you sure you want to submit this vote? I knew it was going to go one of two ways, because I was so tired. “So tough! “That’s really difficult. I had a couple of things in my head. These famous faces are swapping their lavish lifestyles for a week of intense training in the Chilean Andes for a very good cause, raising vital funds for Stand Up To Cancer (though surely they’ll be asking their agents why they didn’t book them a far more comfortable slot on Celebrity Bake Off instead…). There was a moment I clashed with the DS because Camilla was at the back and struggling and I waited for her. here. The show will begin on April 7 on Channel 4 at 9pm. By signing up for a Sustain Health Magazine Newsletter, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and our Privacy Policy. The show is part of Stand Up To Cancer, was that an important aspect for you? “It’s a really tough world to go into regardless of whether you’re male or female and I think if you’re up for it, then you should give it a shot.”. “Where do you go as a female athlete? How did you find being that personal with someone you’ve only just met? All rights reserved. Heather Fisher Twitter: ... Celebrity SAS: Andrew McLean suffers hypothermia after gruelling challenge “I’m 50 this year,” she said. The celebrity special will stay true to the format of the popular Channel 4 series, which sees hopefuls transported to the Andes mountain range in Chile, where they’ll take part in a series of gruelling tasks designed to accurately mimic the SAS selection process. Eating a few meals is crucial for me. But then when it got mentally tough I had to remember what this was for, some people would never get the chance to do what I do because of their illness. “I can’t finish on Covid-19,” she insisted. The stuff I did that week, I’ve never ever done in my life, so a lot of it was the unknown. How did you find the course physically and also mentally? Everytime one of us needed the loo the other one had to go too, and he kept getting up in the night so of course I got no sleep because he always needed a wee!”. "I'm going to prove that women can go toe to toe with men," stated Heather Fisher. But I know what I can do physically, I know I can hold my own against most men. Despite her devastation about the Olympics postponement, Fisher admits the temptation to target a second Games is a far more attractive proposition than having a pandemic determine her career. “Obviously, my alopecia plays a massive part because my immune system is absolutely shot, and therefore you ask, how long do I want to go on for?”, “If I wanted to look at having a family, this is where female sport is so different to male sport. But when you mix in people screaming in your ear, the lack of food and sleep, that’s another level!”, “I got on really well with a lot of them. So it took a hell of a lot in me to do it, because I wasn’t at my strongest mentally and physically. They put you through some seriously tough challenges during the week, like falling from a helicopter into water, how did you find all that? I got so cold and as an athlete you’re so used to being in control, so when you’re put into a position like that you feel so out of control, it’s crazy and terrifying. That was my motivation. The Rugby Football Union is facing revenue losses of up to £107m over the coming financial year and intends to slash its workforce by a quarter. That’s the team mentality in me, but as soon as people started to drop off and the team got smaller, that’s when it got hard for me.”, “I got paired with Dev. But you can’t think you almost have to switch off your mind and just say, “What will be, will be.”, Then you just have to go. I mean, we all started the show saying we’d never get naked and then we had the helicopter challenge on the first day so within hours we were all naked trying to get our dry kit on! We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism. I didn’t really take into account that training’s great, but as soon as day four or five came with no food, lack of food and lack of everything, apart from fresh air, I was struggling. “Physically I found it hard, but good hard. Great Britain sevens player Heather Fisher has revealed she is contemplating other employment amid growing uncertainty over whether her England contract will be renewed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. But more the fact that because you don’t want to let yourself down. Celebrity SAS: Who is taking part in the gruelling challenge for Stand Up To Cancer? I mean, it’s like nothing I’ve ever done in my whole life. If my body and my mind is healthy, I’d always regret not going for it.”. I mean, that parade ground was covered in gravel and glass and you’re crawling through it, it was brutal!”. I remember when we started and had to fall out of the helicopter, I wanted to hang on to Ant and be like, “Oh my God, no! We had to abseil down a wall which might look easy, but when it’s wet, you’re shoes are wet and arms were shaking, it’s brutal! They were a really nice bunch of people. For me, I felt like I wanted to do it to prove that women are strong, full stop and that you’re not going to tell us that women aren’t. Six Nations 2020 table: latest standings from this year's tournament, Leicester Tigers agree inaugural naming rights deal for Welford Road. “I’m now having to try and find jobs to help towards those Olympics Games because we don’t know the security of the RFU,” said Fisher, who has been furloughed and whose contract expires in August. Therefore it didn’t surprise me that I held my own.”. 12 stars have signed up to take part in a gruelling seven day programme headed up by chief instructor Ant Middleton and his team of former Special Forces staff. Middleton and his colleagues Jason Fox, Ollie Ollerton and Mark Billingham will be putting them through their paces in the challenging environment. Please review our, You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. I had no idea how I’d handle that kind of thing. With Ant Middleton, Jason Fox, Mark Billingham, Matthew Ollerton. Find out more, Heather Fisher recently played for England Sevens at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, 'It's been too long': Ali Price relishing chance to revive Finn Russell half-back pairing with Scotland, Bristol Bears' partying put on hold as Wasps' Covid outbreak means Pat Lam must flush the 'celebration juices' out, Further doubt cast on Wasps' presence in Gallagher Premiership final after four more positive coronavirus tests.