Matthew Mitcham Says He Hasn’t Been The Best Husband
Out gay Australian Olympic gold medalist Matthew Mitcham opened up about his relationship with partner Luke Rutherford, during an episode of SAS Australia.
SAS Australia follows 14 celebrity recruits, including Mitcham, as they rough it over 10 days in the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan. Contestants will face challenges such as handling live grenades and being buried alive. Challenges are both physical and psychological.
‘Setting Fire To Shame’
In a recent episode, Mitcham, 35, was asked by SAS Australia Chief Instructor Ant Middleton to reveal something that makes him feel ashamed, during a 鈥渟etting fire to shame鈥� exercise.
听Mitcham said, 鈥淚 am so ashamed of the immense pain I caused someone for 11 years and who stayed with me throughout my addiction.
听鈥淎nd even though I have been clean and sober for several years and that has been one of his absolute deciding factors, I still struggle to be completely honest with my husband.”
听Mitcham said though he and Luke had an “understanding” with regards to sex with other people, 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 been the best husband. I鈥檝e definitely caused a lot of pain and I still have a lot of shame for the lies and deception in my relationship.鈥�
听鈥淚 let my own insecurities, fears, and trust issues be bigger than a promise I made to him. And in doing so, I caused so much harm and serious damage to the relationship.
听鈥淪o what I鈥檓 most ashamed to admit today is that I hurt the people who matter most to me because honesty is not one of my core values 鈥嬧�媋nd I鈥檓 a liar.鈥�
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SAS Australia Toughest Test Mitcham Has Done
听In early October, it was announced that Mitcham would be a contestant on SAS Australia.
听According to producers, this season promises to be one of the most intense.
听Speaking to Seven, at the time, about whether SAS lives up to its reputation as the 鈥渢oughest test, the Olympic gold medalist said, 鈥淚 do.鈥�
听Mitcham continued, 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 just flog you so hard that you quit. That would be too easy. They flog you to the edge of breaking physically, mentally, and emotionally. They know when you鈥檙e right at the edge and they hold you there day after day after day. I鈥檝e never been so drained.鈥�
听This is the fourth season of the military-themed reality TV series.
听SAS Australia season four premiered on October 9 on Seven and 7Plus.
Seven Years Of Sobriety
The Olympic diver celebrated his seven years of sobriety in January this year, describing his mental health as the 鈥渉appiest and healthiest鈥� he鈥檚 ever been.听
In a post to Instagram, Mitcham wrote, 鈥淚t has been seven years since I put anything stronger than a Panadol in my body鈥� Not everyone needs sobriety, but I did because I was dependent on external things to solve internal issues. And though I still have internal issues, I now have internal solutions.鈥�
He added, 鈥淚 hope everyone has had (or is still having) a fun-filled festive season, and if one day you wake up and think 鈥淓nough鈥檚 enough鈥� like I did seven years ago, just know that there is lots of help available if you ask for it.鈥�
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Coming To Terms With His Sexuality
听During the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing, Mitcham, 35, became the first out gay Olympian to win a gold medal.
听Coming to terms with being gay was difficult for Mitcham.
听In a February 2021 interview with BBC Sport, he revealed that he would snap a rubber band on his wrist to try and train himself out of being gay.
鈥淚 was so scared of [being gay] that I would actually tie a rubber band around my wrist and every time I had a gay thought I would snap it, to try and associate pain and suffering with the gay thought. To try and train myself out of being gay,鈥� he said.
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