Geoff Huegill has opened up about his “shame” over the cocaine scandal that led to the breakdown of his marriage on SAS Australia.
WATCH: SAS Australia 2022 sneak peek
The Olympic swimmer made headlines back in 2014 when he and his now ex-wife, Sara Hills, were charged with cocaine possession at Randwick Races.
After becoming the season’s first recruit to be interrogated after he failed the first assessment, the Olympian broke down to the DS about his low point.
“In 2014 I was arrested with my ex-wife at the races for cocaine possession,” Geoff recalled during an interrogation with the soldiers on the TV show.
“We got pulled aside by the police and I was searched. Basically in the blink of an eye our life got turned upside down.
“I was carrying a lot of shame and a lot of guilt that I put my family through that process.
“And it led me to get to a point where I had to make the call to leave my family.”
Geoff and Sara divorced in 2018. They share two daughters, Mila and Gigi – though Geoff added that he’s been unable to see his daughters in 18 months.
“I have some regrets, my biggest one would be not being in my kids’ life on a daily basis,” he said.
“That’s been a big eye-opener. When I retired from sports the second time around, the only thing I ever cared for was family.”
He continued, “The only thing I ever lived for after swimming was just to be a dad. It’s something that I loved and wanted to be.”
WATCH: Olympic swimmer, Geoff Huegill apologises for drug possession
Despite his struggles, Geoff said he’s proud that he was able to turn his life around.
“I’ve had times where I sat there and thought there would be an easier way out,” he said.
“But I’m very proud of the fact that I’ve been able to pull myself out of some pretty dark times.
“If there’s ever a message I want to share with my kids, it’s to get them to understand and recognise that life isn’t going to be easy. The most important thing is how we pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off.
SAS Australia airs on Monday and Tuesday at 7:30pm on Channel Seven and 7Plus.
For more SAS Australia content, check out the links below:
- Meet the celebrity SAS Australia recruits for 2022
- SAS Australia 2022: Where to follow this year’s crop of recruits on Instagram
- Locky Gilbert is out to prove he is a “tough alpha male” on SAS Australia
- Is Orpheus Pledger single or taken?
- Convicted drug dealer Richard Buttrose has an unbreakable bond with his aunt Ita
- Wayne Carey reflects on cheating scandal: “It’s haunted me for 20 years”
- A lowkey proposal and an elopement: SAS Australia’s Ollie Ollerton’s whirlwind romance with his wife Laura
- A chance meeting at a bar and four kids later, who is Ant Middleton’s wife Emilie?
- Barry Hall breaks down on SAS Australia: ‘I’m doing this to make my boys proud’
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
