Sidmouth DJ takes Commando Challenge

SIDMOUTH radio presenter James Santer is preparing to take on the might of the Royal Commandos by trying to beat the time he and his colleagues set last year in the Commando Challenge.

SIDMOUTH radio presenter James Santer is preparing to take on the might of the Royal Commandos by trying to beat the time he and his colleagues set last year in the Commando Challenge.

James with Exeter FM team Paul Nero and Mark Tyler, is looking forward to competing in Saturday and Sunday's event.

Keen footballer James, 25, from Newlands Close, who plays for Colaton Raleigh, will join hundreds of others on Woodbury Common tomorrow to raise money for good causes, including Devon Air Ambulance and the Royal British Legion.

He and his teammates will be one of the first to negotiate the course, which they completed in 39 minutes last year.

"We want to do it in under half-an-hour," said James, who joined the radio station when it was set up in February 2008.

A former Colyton Grammar School student, James did American Studies at Birmingham University, getting the chance to do work experience on Radio California when he spent his last year at the University of California in San Diego.

"I can't play an instrument but am interested in listening to music and did some student radio," said James, whose mum Meriel works at Sidmouth Library.

"After Radio California I realized that was what I wanted to do and I was lucky enough that Exeter FM took a gamble on me."

Of the challenge James said: "I loved doing it last year, it was great fun. I was dreading the sheep dip, the underwater tunnel, but it turned out to be the highlight of the year.

"There was a fear before doing it but a real sense of achievement coming out the other side."

James, who broadcasts weekday evenings from 7-11pm, featuring local bands, will be updating listeners about his challenge from Woodbury Common.