Before Survivor, I trained like an elite athlete. But nothing prepared me for what happened next

‘Was I becoming … a jock? Secretly, I was thrilled’: Benjamin Law competing in Survivor: Heroes v Villains. Photograph: Nigel Wright

We were nearly a week into playing Australian Survivor when I noticed the hole in my foot.

For the first few nights of shooting the reality TV competition in Samoa, it had rained relentlessly. Our shield was hastily-woven palm fronds. Dry clothes didn’t exist. Socks didn’t dry. Spooning each other at night, shivering and whimpering, we wondered whether we’d ever be dry again.