On the last day of April 2002, I heard a knock at the door. I knew who it was and I knew what he was there for. ‘Mr Chambers, you have been selected for a random test.'
By then, I was fully on the programme. By February, I had taken a complete cycle of THG and by March I was racked with severe stomach cramps.
In April, I had pumped THG, EPO and a growth hormone into my body 17 times. I was s******g myself.
I was told some of the drugs were no worse than coffee, all part of the programme, according to Victor Conte.
Not once did I hesitate to take anything prescribed to me.
I was on the lot, knocking them back almost every day: THG, EPO and HGH, then stocking up with insulin and Liothyronine.
HGH changed my body shape, improving muscle definition and reducing body fat, but it is not the wonder drug it is made out to be. I can see it being used in other athletes and I know who they are.
EPO causes the blood to thicken, so I was given iron, vitamin E, folic acid, selenium, vitamin C, B1, B2, B6 and B12 to counteract the possibilities of it clotting.
I was feeling fitter than ever, I was in the gym lifting weights like they were going out of fashion and, of course, I was in there more often.
My weight shot up from 88.63kg to 98.63kg. My personal best for squats went from 180kg to 230kg. I could eat four pancakes with cream and strawberries on top and drink two glasses of orange juice for breakfast.
By the time I returned to England in April, however, the stomach cramps had caused me to miss three meetings. I was worried, but I continued with the programme.
I was sat at home massaging The Cream, which is the drugs masking agent, into my arms when the knock on the door came.
The Cream leaves a white residue, taking about an hour to disappear and smells a little bit like burnt almonds. I don’t remember a feeling of panic as I calmly walked to the door, but the residue on my arms was clearly visible as I was wearing a sleeveless vest top.
I opened the door and an official-looking man spoke His words chilled me to the bone. We walked into the lounge; the tube of THG lay on top of the television and the faint smell of almonds permeated the air.
He was a dour man, not too talkative and he did not leave my side until I had peed into his canister.
Chambers
Chambers says the shape of his body changed whilst his regimented drug taking period
Victor had warned me about this first test. I thought I was ready. I thought I could be cool. Instead, I was sweating like a bull.
Eventually, I handed it over to him and stared at the canister like it was some radioactive substance.
He noticed my reaction and said: ‘Don’t worry, son, it’s only a little urine.’
The moment he left, I called Victor. ‘I’ve been tested,’ I blurted into the phone. I was on the point of tears.
‘I was rubbing The Cream in when he came to the door, it was on my fingers and could . . .’
Victor cut me off mid-sentence, relaxed me, told me it would be OK. I admitted I was taking THG and EPO and there was an uncomfortable silence at the end of the phone.
We checked dates and he said: ‘Dwain, you have been following the calendar day by day, haven’t you?’ I had.
I began breathing normally again. He berated me for answering the door to the tester and I apologised.
I had taken EPO nine times that month and yet opened the door to someone I had never seen before. That was stupid. There is an easy way around the system and one that is fool proof.
Quite simply, you hide.