Sydney-raised Hadil is the mother of two young children and says she ‘really struggled’ being away from them while competing on MKR.
‘It was hard leaving for the show and being without them,’ she explains.
‘It was a super difficult decision to make, having to be separated from them. It tore my heart apart being far away.
‘Not being able to read them a bedtime story and things like that. It was really hard.’
Hadil says she would rather not name her children, who are six and four, after coming to the decision with their father, from whom she split four years ago.
‘My ex-husband and I made the decision to keep them private,’ she explains.
There’s another side to Hadil – who now lives in tropical Cairns – which has been kept under wraps.
Up until 2014, the beauty therapist spent five years as a boatswain’s mate in the navy!
‘I’m ex-navy and my ex-husband is still in the navy,’ she spills.
‘You wouldn’t think it. You would think I’m a girly girl! I’m actually the biggest tomboy you’ll ever meet.
‘They didn’t show that part at all, just my girly side.’
Before deciding to leave the armed forces to spend more time with her children, Hadil says that she largely dealt with ropes and weapons.
‘I specialised in weapons,’ she says.
‘Definitely can shoot a 50 cal [50 caliber machine gun].’
For the full story see this weeks issue of New Idea - out now!
