High jump champion Jonathan Broom-Edwards says a punishing spell on reality television has “ramped up” his resilience ahead of his bid to retain Paralympic gold in Paris.
The 36-year-old leapt to glory in Tokyo three years ago, having grown up attempting to hide his impairment due to embarrassment.
Broom-Edwards, who was born with Talipes Equinovarus, more commonly known as clubbed foot, was put through the pain barrier on series four of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins following his exploits in Japan.
He ranks the gruelling appearance on Channel Four’s quasi-military training programme, alongside Olympians Fatima Whitbread, Dwain Chambers and Jade Jones, as the toughest test he has endured.
“That was one of the best experiences of my life,” Broom-Edwards, who on Friday was named in ParalympicsGB’s athletics squad for France, told the PA news agency.
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and it came with rock-bottom feelings but I transcended pain on it.
“I realised that the mind can put a very limiting state on you, where it makes you feel like you need to quit, or you want to quit, long before your body is actually breaking down.
“That was an incredible experience. I met some truly amazing people.
“It ramped up my resilience and it ramped up my tenacity to work hard. It was one of the most life-affirming and life-changing experiences.”
Broom-Edwards played able-bodied basketball at Loughborough University, alongside studying aeronautical engineering, and only realised he was eligible for Para sport following London 2012.
He went on to win high jump silver on his Paralympic debut at Rio 2016 and, after rupturing his Achilles in 2018, topped the podium in Tokyo, in between two world title triumphs.
Having overcome self-consciousness about his disability, Broom-Edwards, from Essex, now wears it “like armour” and is “glad to be different” heading into his third Games, which begin on August 28.
“It’s been life-changing going into Paralympic sport,” said.
“I grew up not really knowing that I could compete at the Paralympics with my condition.
“I grew up hiding it because I was embarrassed about my foot and then I come into Paralympic sport and I’ve got to show the world it.
“It’s been the best thing I ever could have hoped for and it’s been the greatest opportunity as a result of the impairment I was born with.
“Nowadays, I wear my impairment like armour because if anyone has got anything to say about my leg – it looking funny or anything like that – it says more about them.
“It’s given me the most amazing opportunities and I’m glad to be different.”