Merle Liivand, a US woman, has set a new Guinness World Record for the farthest swim in a mermaid fin. The feat was achieved in just 11 hours and 54 minutes by swimming 26.2-mile off the coast of Miami beach last month and GWR confirmed the world record last week. Liivand also aims to generate awareness on the issue of marine pollution. She regularly swims wearing a silicone mermaid fin without using her arms. Liivand also picked up trash while swimming. “When I see trash, I get angry,” she told GWR. "At the end of the day this isn’t just about a record, it’s about helping the community and the world," she added. “I have a really special relationship with the dolphins, and I think they know I pick up trash. Every time I clean the bay, I see dolphin tails swimming by to say hi. I feel a connection between us,” she further said. Earlier, while practising, the Estonian professional swimmer nearly ingested microplastics while breathing. It instigated her to do more for the ocean rather than just swimming in it. She later decided to swim exactly the way fish do. Using a custom-engineered mermaid-like tail fin called a monofin, Liivand started swimming using only her legs and feet. “Swimming with the monofin without using my arms is similar to how dolphins and marine animals swim. They have a fin and can’t use any arms,” said Liivand. For over a year, Liivand has been practising and she used to wake up at 4 am every day for training under the same conditions. "Over 13 months, I really changed my training. I planked for 50 minutes 3 times per week, attended hot yoga, focused on my breathing and nutrition, and connected with myself," she said. She also consumed magnesium and potassium pills to prevent leg cramps and always remained hydrated. The previous record was secured by Liivand herself last year. She had started swimming as her lungs had collapsed due to auto-immune health problems and now she has become an advocate for ocean conservation.
