Be Part of the SCTN: Introducing The Latest Addition to WPN

You may have heard of it, experienced it, or this could be breaking news to you –regardless – we'd like to introduce you to SCTN – the latest addition to the WPN & SORA family, and we're doing this one a little differently.

Inspired by military training, resilience, and mental capabilities, SCTN has been created to simulate the truest and most realistic experience of any military program available, drawing on real world experiences from special forces selection and other specialised courses from the Australian Army by current and ex-serving members.

And who are these members we speak of? Meet Darren – an ex soldier, Darren's at the helm of all things SCTN, running the sessions across Queensland and soon to be expanded Australia-wide. Now a PT (amongst many other roles), Darren is at the forefront of every SCTN event, running the two hour sessions where physical and mental strength is put to the test.

So with that, meet Darren and dive into the purpose and madness of SCTN, below.

Darren – why SCTN & WPN?
A chance meeting with one of the partners in WPN showed me that what I had run as a one-off event was something that should be taken to the masses. Our message was the same: we want to help people become stronger by focussing on their headspace. We agreed that the best way to do this was through physical means and that this is where the biggest lessons are learned.

What's your background – tell us how and why you started in the forces and your military journey.
In 2013 at 27 years old I decided to enlist and follow through on a dream I had since I was 13. I was accepted into the Direct Entry Recruitment Scheme for Special Forces, however during the selection course in 2014 I was medically withdrawn due to injury. I was then posted to the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR) in Brisbane and in 2016 I lined
up again for Commando selection. Unfortunately, I was removed via a Board of Studies (BOS), where they eliminate the bottom 5% of candidates on the course every few days. This time around I was in the bottom 5%, so was withdrawn three days before the end. The idea of a highly motivated group of individuals, trained to an elite level, working together to achieve a common goal, had always appealed to me and was something I was
still hungry for. So, in 2018 I lined up again, this time for the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) selection course. A few days into the course I had the realisation that I didn’t want that job anymore, so withdrew myself from the course. Shortly after returning home, I left the army and went about
the process of asking myself: Who am I now?

What's been your biggest challenge within this?
Answering that question: Who am I now? I was always, “The guy going for selection.” Without that, I didn’t know who I was, or should be. The biggest challenge has been acknowledging my past experiences and seeing them for what they are: exceptional. The sheer dedication and commitment required to even get to the start line of a selection course is monumental. It is a six-month investment of your time, devoted solely to training, sleeping, recovering, learning and solidifying the reasons why you want to do it. Without this, I was lost. So, on returning home from my third selection and ultimately leaving the army, I was now just “Darren”. I wasn’t sure if this was good enough. The challenge was acknowledging my worthiness, just as I am.

What do you do now?
I just completed my second degree, a Bachelor in Entertainment Business Management. I also do group training classes at a gym in Newstead, as well as spend every day doing something to create, build and make SCTN as good as it can be.
Why the change?
I have always been a musician, so it seemed logical to study the business side of the industry. Fortunately, business is business, so the skills and knowledge that I gained whilst studying is directly translatable in a broader sense.

Would you do anything differently looking back? If so, do tell!
Absolutely not. I am who I am now because of what I’ve been through. Pain, loss and failure are an inevitable part of the journey. Do I wish I hadn’t been through some of it? Of course. Do I accept that it was necessary to bring me to where I am now? Most definitely.
What's the aim of the game now?
My purpose is to help others “Build Resilience Through Adversity”. This sums up the entire ethos of SCTN. The aim is to spread this message and facilitate these experiences as far and wide as possible, making people better, stronger and more resilient in every aspect of their lives.