Ellen Vitting makes it through Ultimate Hell Week

Trim AC member Ellen Vitting has overcome the extreme physical and mental endurance test that is Ultimate Hell Week to become one of just three recruits to pass the gruelling course.

Ellen showed incredible strength, determination and fitness throughout the series to make it to the finale, along with just six other recruits. All of her Trim AC clubmates and friends in Trim were rooting for Ellen and were delighted to see her make it to the end of the course.

Ellen, who is a financial planning and analysis manager with Liberty Insurance, was living in Trim when the series was filmed a year ago and since then has moved back to Kerry.

"It is so surreal. It is like a different world. I moved home after the show was filmed and got promoted in work and things have been mental so I hadn't much time to think about it," said Ellen.

She said that initially it was hard watching it back and a "little bit of her died" seeing herself on the first episode but she got used to watching herself as the weeks went on. "It became part of the weekly routine, watching it, and in a way it is like saying goodbye to it all over again."

I've gotten used to looking at myself and listening to myself and I am proud that I stuck it out and lasted to the end."

In the final episode, the recruits were chained to the floor in a water chamber with a hood over their head. Ellen stuck it out to the end until the water was right up to her neck.They also endured the toughest of interrogations.

"You were strong all week, everything you did, you did was to the highest standard, I'm glad to tell you, you passed, congratulation," Chief Instructor Ray Goggins said as he told her the good news.

When asked by the Meath Chronicle if she ever felt like handing over the armband, Ellen said that while she didn't know if she would make it to the end, she never considering handing back her armband.

"Reflecting on it now, it all seems a bit mad, it was a really tough challenge. But I never wanted to go home. I never considered handing my armband back. I didn't know if I would last. I wasn't super confident to get to the end but I wanted to be there the whole time and was willing to put up with whatever they threw at me."

"The hardest part was the constant pressure, not knowing what was coming next. The cold and the tiredness did wear you down and you were always out of your comfort zone."

One of the challenges Ellen found the toughest was the forward abseil as she "hates heights".

An event she really excelled in was the 21km weighted hike and she was first to reach the finish. "I am into endurance running with a backpack so that event was made for me," she said.

Ellen met up with her friends in Trim for one of the episodes and has got great support from everyone there.

"Everyone in Trim is amazing. Trim AC is like an extended big group of friends and I watched one of the episodes with them and my old book club friends in Jack Quinn's."

Ellen said taking part in the show was an opportunity of a lifetime.

"I feel so grateful to have been able to take part. I was in a good place with my training, physically and mentally and you need to be in a good place to do it. "

"I feel really lucky to have got the chance to do it."

Clara Hogan, a primary school teacher from Waterford, and Conor O'Keefe, an adventure company owner from Cork, also passed the course.