Nothing to fear but fear itself (and maybe snakes)

Sandy High School grad appears on Fear Factor

By Garth Guibord and Shannon Proulx

The Sandy Post, Aug 23, 2006, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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McTeigue’s “Fear Factor” journey started when she found an online classified ad that said NBC was looking for Iraq veterans to audition for the show. She filled out an application, and in April 2005, McTeigue traveled to Hollywood for the tryouts.

More than 40,000 veterans auditioned for the show, but in September 2005, McTeigue was chosen to represent the Marines. Scott, as it turned out, was the only one of her friends interested in appearing on the show with her.

“I was excited to be on the show because I have always watched it and wanted to see how I would do,” Scott said.

The pair filmed the episode in December 2005 and spent the following six months silently waiting for the show to air. McTeigue didn’t even tell her own mother, Mary, how she did before it was on television.

“Sara hadn’t told me anything about the show beforehand, except that they didn’t win,” Mary said. “It was exciting to see her on TV; I just wish they would have done better.”

If McTeigue and Scott had advanced, the challenges they would have faced would have been even more daunting. The second round featured cargo boxes – surrounded by snakes – with canteens filled with rotten, bug-filled food that the contestants would have to eat.

“It would have made me sick to watch her eat all that disgusting stuff,” Mary said.

The final challenge had each team fly in on a helicopter, then run to a truck rolling on the deck of the aircraft carrier, climb on top and remove grenades before the truck rolled off the edge.

McTeigue was disappointed she and Scott weren’t able to compete further, but her experience didn’t dampen her enthusiasm to try it again.

“I would do it all over again in a heartbeat,” McTeigue told producers after the show.

If there is a next time, McTeigue will tackle the snakes and the bug-filled food, or whatever disgusting concoction, without hesitation. That’s just the way she was raised.

“My father has always encouraged us to try different foods,” she said. “I would have tried anything if I was able to keep going. I would have eaten a pig uterus or slugs or anything."

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