WACO, Texas — Waco businessman Andy Sheehy is from Cincinnati, Ohio, but he's been in Central Texas for decades so that hearty winter blood may have thinned a little.
During the arctic blast this January, Sheehy decided to put that to the test, taking the Polar Plunge by jumping into Lake Waco on a day when the air temperature was 24 degrees and the water temperature a cool 49.
6 News Anchor Kris Radcliffe had one big question, why?
"I've been asked that a lot since two days ago when I jumped," Sheehy told 6 News. "It's just a sense of doing something different this year. I think that 2024 is a big year for a lot of people and for me, I came into it just thinking, I got to change, I got to do some things different and have some urgency to it, and a friend of mine was doing this in Ireland and I thought 'I’m going to do it' and as soon as the cold weather came I was like 'Today's the day!'"
Believe it or not, Sheehy said there was no drinking involved, at least until after the plunge.
"Well, after we did drink a little wine," Sheehy said. "Well, we earned it, I had to warm my body back up!"
When Kris Radcliffe worked in Nebraska, every Feb. 2, folks would jump into the North Platte River for "The Ground Hoggie Doggie Day Splash" to raise money for charity. Well, Sheehy didn't wait for February.
"When you first jump in it does take the breath out of you, but I got to tell you, getting out of it for a minute, you are still kind of in shock, so you don't really feel the cold," Sheehy said, "But I mean it hits you very quickly when you get out of that because you are just soaking wet and your hair freezes so you feel it very quickly."
After the experience, Sheehy said he may have found his motto for 2024.
"The wind was howling, cold ice everywhere, but that's when you've got to do it, they say you've got to 'Embrace the suck'."
"As soon as I hit I was like out of breath, but then I was invigorated and it was so energizing and perfect," Sheehy said, describing his experience.
So, would Sheehy do it again?
"Absolutely," Sheehy told 6 News, "Not today though... I'll wait until July!"
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