Matthew Mitcham Says He Hasn’t Been The Best Husband
Image: Matthew Mitcham Facebook
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 “setting fire to shame” exercise.
Mitcham said, “I am so ashamed of the immense pain I caused someone for 11 years and who stayed with me throughout my addiction.
“And 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.”
Mitcham said though he and Luke had an “understanding” with regards to sex with other people, “I haven’t been the best husband. I’ve definitely caused a lot of pain and I still have a lot of shame for the lies and deception in my relationship.”
“I 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.
“So what I’m 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 and I’m a liar.”
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SAS Australia Toughest Test Mitcham Has Done
In early October, it was announced that Mitcham would be a contestant on SAS Australia.
According to producers, this season promises to be one of the most intense.
Speaking to Seven, at the time, about whether SAS lives up to its reputation as the “toughest test, the Olympic gold medalist said, “I do.”
Mitcham continued, “They don’t 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’re right at the edge and they hold you there day after day after day. I’ve never been so drained.”
This is the fourth season of the military-themed reality TV series.
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 “happiest and healthiest” he’s ever been.
In a post to Instagram, Mitcham wrote, “It has been seven years since I put anything stronger than a Panadol in my body… 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.”
He added, “I hope everyone has had (or is still having) a fun-filled festive season, and if one day you wake up and think “Enough’s enough” like I did seven years ago, just know that there is lots of help available if you ask for it.”
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Coming To Terms With His Sexuality
During the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing, Mitcham, 35, became the first out gay Olympian to win a gold medal.
Coming to terms with being gay was difficult for Mitcham.
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.
“I 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,” he said.
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