A former jockey has swapped his saddle for a surfboard as he embarks on a 22-mile fundraising adventure.
Armed only with a home-made boogie board, Sam Morshead will take on the River Tay this summer in aid of two cancer charities.
The 59-year-old celebrated his birthday in style yesterday by completing a practice run between Perth Racecourse, where he is manager, and the North Inch.
After swimming more than a mile, he emerged from the water to a well-deserved nip of whisky and a kiss from his wife, Sue.
Sam admitted the task ahead may not be as straightforward as he had hoped.
“It was a bit tougher than I expected,” he said. “The tide was going out so I had to do a lot more swimming than I expected.
“I was also glad I chose to wear a wetsuit as the air temperature was quite low, so it was a bit chilly when the sun disappeared.”
Training will now begin in earnest ahead of the real challenge, which takes place in August and will see Sam swim from Dunkeld to Perth while balanced on his makeshift board.
He hopes it will help raise awareness of prostate cancer, a disease he is only too familiar with.
The fearless fundraiser has been living with cancer for several years and doctors have revealed they can only contain it, rather than cure it.
“I wish my doctors had told me eight years earlier that I should now keep an eye on my prostate,” Sam said.
“I now hope to spread that message to others. I feel that the dangers and consequences of prostate cancer in men should be as high profiled as breast cancer is with women.
“An awful lot of men are finding out they have cancer later than they perhaps should have done.”
Although he has enjoyed a successful career as a jockey, riding in seven Grand Nationals, Sam revealed his charity challenge was “the big one” and will be one of his most notable achievements.
Money raised will be split between Prostate Cancer Scotland and Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres.
Donations can be made online at www.justgiving.com/sams-tay-challenge.