Former Neighbours star Zima Anderson has opened up about ‘accepting her death’ whilst filming SAS Australia: Who Dares Wins.
The 26 year old Australian soap star appeared as Roxy Willis for three years between 2019 and 2022, later returning for a prolonged guest stint just months after her exit to coincide with what was then presumed to be the show’s finale.
Wayward Roxy was a fan favourite during her time on Ramsay Street, and we later saw her settle down with Kyle Canning (Chris Milligan) and undergo IVF treatment to conceive their first child.
Upon her brief return, the character was heavily pregnant.
Last year she took part in the latest series of SAS: Who Dares Wins, which is based on the British show of the same name that airs on Channel 4.
The series pits celebrities against harsh environments, in a training course that aims to replicate a number of elements of the actual special forces program.
Zima starred alongside fellow Neighbours alumni Craig McLachlan (who played Henry Ramsay) and Tim Robards (who played Pierce Greyson), though had to withdraw on medical grounds in the seventh episode.
The star was tasked with jumping from a high platform into the ocean, though slipped and fell onto a concrete slab.
She was later carried out on a stretcher, but was fortunate to only suffer a fractured right elbow and wrist.
Now she’s addressed her near-death experience, recalling the moment that she thought she was about to die.
‘I remember, I almost died. I dead ass fell eight metres, onto straight concrete – just my body – and didn’t die’ she told The Disruption Ent podcast.
‘It was a mistake that wasn’t meant to be made and I got intiuition to not do [it].
‘It was one of the things I thought I got a message to not do it and I didn’t follow my intuition.’
She continued: ‘I was meant to land in the water in the ocean. If I had landed in the water, I would have been paraplegic or dead easily.
‘It took me four days to walk again, the shock in my body. I was in some army hospital and they kept doing scans and stuff because it didn’t make sense.’
Only Robards and Olympic gold diver Matthew Mitcham passed the challenge on the tenth day.
‘I thought I broke my spine or broke my legs and I remember every single aspect and every single moment, and in all honesty, I just accepted I was going to die’ Zima added.
‘It was the most relaxing thing, and that also saved me from injuring myself.’
It was confirmed earlier in the year that broadcaster Seven Network had shelved the series, which had aired four celebrity series and one civilian. It is not yet known whether it will return.
