A would-be mermaid has been told to leave her homemade spandex tail at home if she wants to make a splash at a Bromsgrove, England, swim center.
Leia Trigger, 18, who also goes by the name Mermaid Aries, told The Bromsgrove Advertiser that she had previously been allowed to swim at the Dolphin Centre’s indoor pool with her tail, but administrators have now said that her mermaid swim sessions will have to stop.
“It can cause injury to other swimmers due to the extended length and movement of the tail, as well as causing an irregular current that can make it difficult for other customers using the pool,” said Neil Cowdrey, contract manager at Everyone Active, which recently took over management of the center and changed the rules on mermaid tails.
Trigger says she understands those concerns.
“It’s mainly the health and safety risk, because the legs are bound together they worried that I might get into trouble in the water or that I might end up hitting somebody,” she told Metro UK. Other Bromsgrove pools also have barred her from swimming with her tail for similar reasons.
Trigger told the site that she fears the bans will prevent her from realizing her dream of someday performing as a mermaid to entertain children.
“I’m out of action now,” she said.
Trigger, who works as a shop assistant, owns two mermaid tails, which normally are made of lycra or spandex, though expensive silicon models also are available. A YouTube video on mermaid outfits inspired her homemade efforts.
She said she hopes to find another place to prepare for her eventual vocation as a mermaid.
“It’s about a sense of just being able to dive in, and I can explore as a mythical, amazing, graceful creature,” Trigger said.
This story was originally published September 28, 2017 9:42 AM.