Are you tempted by Archie’s cold water sandwich?      

By Gary Moug AS CHARITY events go, the Cold Water Sandwich doesn’t sound a very comfortable challenge. If the title doesn’t sound glamorous, that’s because it’s not. Devised by Helensburgh man Archie Waters (51), the Cold Water Sandwich is a sponsored 10 km run-and-swim-a-thon on New Year’s Day. Starting at the pier car park in Helensburgh, Archie’s route will take him over the hills behind the town and down to Rhu, a distance of 5 km. There he will brave the freezing waters to join the outdoor swimmers at the Rhu Marina for the traditional New Year swim, before jogging the 5 km back to the pier.

Archie gets in some practice  for his “Sandwich”.

The event is in aid of our appeal and Archie, a keen hill-runner, is looking for more volunteers. He said, “I normally go for a run on New Year’s Day anyway as it’s a great way to start the year. My son Mark (15) did the swim last year so he’s been trying to talk me into it. I thought I’d combine the two and create the Cold Water Sandwich.” Confident Although Archie, who runs an outdoor activities charity called Drum Adventure in Drumchapel, has never taken part in the New Year swim before, he’s confident he’ll be able to handle it. “I’ve spent a lot of time teaching people to capsize kayaks, so I know what the cold water is going to feel like. “I hope to raise in excess of £500. The reason I chose CHAS is because I know a woman who works for Friends of CHAS and she told me all about it. “I’m very fortunate I can still run about hills at the age of 51. The children who will attend Robin House may not have that opportunity. “I chose the name Cold Water Sandwich because the cold water is the filling in between the two runs — just like a sandwich. So far half a dozen people have agreed to join me and I’m looking for more. “They don’t all have to swim — I’m quite happy to do that on behalf of everybody — but it’d be great if we could get lots of people to run on the day to raise as much money as possible for The Sunday Post appeal.” If you would like to sponsor Archie or sign up for the Cold Water Sandwich, write to us at The Sunday Post, 144 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow, G4 OHZ, and we’ll pass your details on.

You can e-mail us at: hospice@sundaypost.com