Olympic runner Peter Bol reveals the brutal SAS Australia challenge that left him ‘panicking and feeling scared’

He’s an Olympic runner and is used to pushing himself to extreme limits.

But Perth athlete Peter Bol said that he was ‘scared’ and ‘panicky’ while filming some of the gruelling challenges during the upcoming season of SAS Australia: Buried Alive.

The 29-year-old track competitor travelled to a desert in the Middle East for the new season of the reality hit series and said he came face to face with his fears.

In an interview with Perth Now on Saturday, Peter said the challenges were mentally and physically demanding including when he was buried alive in a coffin.

‘In the desert I have no idea where I am, I have no idea what tasks I’m going to be asked to do, so that was a challenge,’ he said.

The 29-year-old track competitor travelled to a desert in the Middle East for the reality hit series, where he told Perth Now, he came face to face with his fears

Peter said he had to endure filming scenes that involved heights and tight spaces.

At one point, he was ‘buried alive’ in a ‘coffin’ built in the sand.

‘I hate confined spaces and tight spaces so in terms of panic, once you are in tight spaces that’s when you panic so I found that pretty scary.

‘You go through tunnels and it’s dark and you just stop thinking so that was tough. 

‘And also heights. I hate heights and sometimes you have to abseil and stuff. That was a bit challenging. It didn’t matter how physically fit you were. I was depending on my physical fitness but this has nothing to do with physical fitness.’

Peter, who finished fourth in the 800m at the last Olympics, was recently embroiled in a banned substance scandal with Athletics Australia – he was later cleared in his B sample of using banned substances.

The new season, called SAS Australia: Buried Alive, also features the celebrity cast having to dodge grenades as they race along the roof of a moving train.

Peter said he had to endure filming scenes that involved heights and tight spaces. At one point, he was ‘buried alive’ in a ‘coffin’ built in the sand (pictured)

Peter, who finished fourth in the 800m at the last Olympics, was recently embroiled in a banned substance scandal with Athletics Australia – he was later cleared in his B sample of using banned substances (pictured with host Ant Middleton in the new series)

Included in the cast this season is Craig McLachlan who was acquitted in court after he was charged with assault and indecent assault over complaints from female co-stars in a stage production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show in Melbourne in 2014.

He strongly denied the allegations against him.

The season also features Anthony Mundine, former Roosters captain Boyd Cordner and Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice.

Convicted drug smuggler Cassie Sainsbury, AKA Cocaine Cassie, will also be appearing on the show.

The cast of SAS Australia was announced earlier this year