Merle Liivand (also known as Eco Mermaid and Merle The Mermaid; born 17 April 1991) [1] is an Estonian Olympic swimmer and environmental activist. [2] [3] [4] [5]
Merle Liivand (also known as Eco Mermaid and Merle The Mermaid; born 17 April 1991) [1] is an Estonian Olympic swimmer and environmental activist. [2] [3] [4] [5]
As of 2015, Liivand was teaching swimming lessons at St. Francis College's mermaid school. [6] [7] In May 2022, she completed a 26.22 miles (42.19 kilometers) swim while wearing a silicone monofin in 11 hours and 54 seconds. The swim took place in Florida and came after her latest 18.6 miles (30 kilometers) record, which was achieved in 9 hours and 19 minutes. [8] [2] [9] [10]
In 2023, she swam for 30 miles (50 kilometers) for 14 hours and 15 minutes around Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida. The goal of swimming for 30 miles was set to allude to the United Nations Environment Program's "30x30" goals for 2030. During the swim, she picked up garbage in the water with a plastic bag. In that year, Liivand had received five Guinness World Records awards related to swimming. [11]
According to Liivand, she started attempting to raise awareness about marine pollution after observing high concentrations of garbage in the sea and on the beach during the 2016 Olympic games at Rio de Janeiro. [3] She stated that she had planned to swim at the Biscayne Bay at one point, but canceled the event due to the concentration of toxic debris and plastic in the water. [2] She stated that, during a training session prior to her June 2022 swim in Florida, she nearly ingested microplastics while breathing in the water. [12]
Liivand was born in Tallinn. [13] She started swimming as a child due to her breathing problems. [14] She moved from Estonia to Florida at the age of 10. [14] She lives in Miami Beach, Florida. [2]
Biscayne Bay is a lagoon with characteristics of an estuary located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida. The northern end of the lagoon is surrounded by the densely developed heart of the Miami metropolitan area while the southern end is largely undeveloped with a large portion of the lagoon included in Biscayne National Park.
A monofin is a type of swimfin typically used in underwater sports such as finswimming, free-diving and underwater orienteering. It consists of a single or linked surfaces attached to both of the diver's feet, emulating the fluke of Cetaceans like whales or porpoises. Even though the diver's appearance might be reminiscent of a mermaid or merman, monofin swimming is not the same as mermaiding.
Kaitlin Shea Sandeno is an American former competition swimmer who is an Olympic gold medalist, world champion and former world record-holder. Sandeno was a member of the American team that set a new world record in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She was the general manager of DC Trident which is a part of the International Swimming League for 3 seasons.
Annette Marie Sarah Kellermann was an Australian professional swimmer, vaudeville star, film actress, and writer, usually known as Annette Kellerman.
Finswimming is an underwater sport consisting of four techniques involving swimming with the use of fins either on the water's surface using a snorkel with either monofins or bifins or underwater with monofin either by holding one's breath or using open circuit scuba diving equipment. Events exist over distances similar to swimming competitions for both swimming pool and open water venues. Competition at world and continental level is organised by the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques. The sport's first world championship was held in 1976. It also has been featured at the World Games as a trend sport since 1981 and was demonstrated at the 2015 European Games in June 2015.
Dr. Vicki Keith Munro, CM, O.Ont, LLD, ChPC is a Canadian retired marathon swimmer, coach and advocate for disabled athletes. Her accomplishments include the first crossing of all five Great Lakes, a 100-hour swim and the world record distance of 80.2 kilometers swum using the butterfly stroke. Many people consider Keith as the face of marathon swimming.
Diana Nyad is an American author, journalist, motivational speaker, and long-distance swimmer. Nyad gained national attention in 1975 when she swam around Manhattan in record time.
Natalia Vadimovna Molchanova was a Russian champion freediver, multiple world record holder, and the former president of the Russian Free Dive Federation. Described as "possibly the world’s greatest freediver," Molchanova set an unparalleled standard in the sport. She believed, “Freediving is not only a sport, it is a way to understand who you are,” reflecting her deep connection to the sport. Throughout her career, she achieved 42 world records and earned 22 world championship medals, 19 of which were gold.
Ethelda Marguerite Bleibtrey, also known by her married name Ethelda Schlatke, was an American competition swimmer for the Women's Swimming Association, a three-time world record breaking 1920 Olympic gold medalist, and a former world record-holder in multiple events. She was one of the first women to compete in swimming in the Olympics, the first woman to win an Olympic swimming title, and the first woman to ever win three Olympic gold medals.
Adelaide T. Lambert, also known by her married name Adelaide Ballard, was an American competition swimmer for the Women's Swimming Association of New York, who earned a gold medal at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, setting a world record in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay. She set a number of American swimming records, and set a world record in February, 1927, during the Women’s National AAU Indoor Swimming Championships in Buffalo, New York, in the 300-yard medley of 4:34.4.
Erica Lara Rose was an American competition swimmer who specialized in long-distance and open water events. Rose was a 5 km World Aquatics champion in Perth, Australia at only fifteen in 1998, was a four-time Pan American swim marathon gold medalist, a Pan Pacific 3.1 mile champion in 1997 in Melbourne, Australia, and a ten-time National Open Water swim marathon champion at 5 km, 10 km, and 25 km distances between 1997 and 2007. She competed with Cleveland's Lake Erie Silver Dolphins, Hawken High School Swim Team, the Northwestern University Swim Team, and for twelve years with the USA Swimming National Team.
Underwater sports is a group of competitive sports using one or a combination of the following underwater diving techniques - breath-hold, snorkelling or scuba, usually including the use of equipment such as diving masks and fins. These sports are conducted in the natural environment at sites such as open water and sheltered or confined water such as lakes and in artificial aquatic environments such as swimming pools. Underwater sports include the following - aquathlon, finswimming, freediving, spearfishing, sport diving, underwater football, underwater hockey, underwater ice hockey, underwater orienteering, underwater photography, underwater rugby, underwater target shooting and underwater video.
Alexey Molchanov is a Russian champion freediver, multiple world champion, world record holder, and freediving promoter. He is also president of the "Freediving Federation" association, head of freediving school named in honor of Natalia Molchanova, and designer and engineer of the freediving equipment brand Molchanovs. Alexey is a son of Natalia Molchanova – multiple champion and world record holder in freediving.
Swim Miami is an open-water swimming event held annually in south Florida. Races typically take place in March or April every year. Today the event is owned and operated by the H2Os Foundation, a foundation dedicated to eradicating drowning in south Florida. The swim also helps to develop open-water swimming as an Olympic-style sport in Florida.
Mermaiding is the practice of wearing, and often swimming in, a costume mermaid tail.
Peppo Biscarini is an Italian-American swimmer, freediver, entrepreneur and evangelist. He represented both Italy and the United States in various international competitions and also won many titles. After retiring from his athletic career, he had a long stint as coach and entrepreneur. Later in life he responded to a higher calling and directed his life towards evangelism.
Simone Arrigoni is an Italian free-diver. He holds multiple free-diving world records. He is an ActionAid Ambassador and Honorary Member of the Centro Studi Cetacei, a non-profit Italian association that is concerned with the study and rescue of marine mammals and reptiles since 1986.
Johanna Nordblad is a Finnish designer, ice diver and freediver.
Alessia Zecchini is an Italian freediver who has set world and Italian records in freediving.
Stella Taylor was an American long-distance swimmer born in Bristol, England, best known for crossing the English Channel twice and holding Guinness Book of Records recognition as the oldest woman to swim across the Channel. She made her first English channel crossing in August 1973 in 15:25, from England to France, when she was around the age of 43, repeating the swim in 1975 in 18:15 at the age of 45.