Despite Barry Hall having no choice but to leave SAS Australia early due to a debilitating rib injury, his wife Lauren Brant couldn’t be prouder of him.
The-mother-of-three praised her AFL legend husband for letting Australia see his “humbled, non-egotistical, comforting and selfless” side while competing on the gruelling reality show.
“If anyone watched Barry on SAS – you would know for sure, why I am so madly in love with him. There is so much to say – but what came across really clearly to me, is that he IS the ultimate man,” she posted on Instagram following Barry’s voluntary withdrawal on Tuesday night.
Barry shares sons Miller, Houston, and Samson with Lauren.
(Image: Instagram)“No not the ‘alpha male, unemotional, physical, beast like’ stereotype that boys have been expected & pressurised to be in the past, but the ‘humbled, non-egotistical, comforting & selfless’ human that mothers can be proud of, wives can love & trust, children can feel safe and held with, and friends can feel vulnerable with.
“Barry is all of these – he listens, he is patient and he takes action. I am SO proud of him. He is built like a ‘Roman Statue’ as one of the contestants put it – but it’s his heart that’s his ‘biggest’ attribute.”
The 45-year-old was one of the frontrunners, but was forced to medically withdraw after a brutal fight with Locky Gilbert left him with a gruesome rib injury.
Barry was forced to leave SAS Australia after suffering a rib injury.
(Image: Seven)It was a difficult choice for the former AFL star to make, as he was determined to keep going, but in the end his injury made it impossible to go on.
“I would’ve loved to have completed it, but stuff happens doesn’t it,” Barry told DS Ant Middleton, but Ant reminded the AFL great he had achieved incredible things on the course.
Barry left his tough AFL persona at the door during his time on the course, and showed his softer, more vulnerable side during an interrogation with the DS.
“My childhood growing up was a little bit dysfunctional I guess. there wasn’t much love in the household I would go home to dad and brag about the fights that I was in trying to get his approval,” he said.
“You would see a little smirk on his face until you had a couple of bruises on you… you’d have to go back and square up again. Being a dad myself now, I can’t get my head around how he could be the way he was.”
Barry, who shares sons Miller, Houston, and Samson with Lauren, then broke down as he talked about his wife and kids.
“Lauren is an amazing mum, an amazing wife, she has helped me so much,” he said.
“I didn’t realise how selfish I was until I had a wife and kids. I’m doing this course to make my boys proud.”
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