WATCH: Mermaids raise awareness for breast cancer
"For women to have breasts is what represents being feminine."
Dressed in a pink costume and swaying her pink tail in the blue water, Candice Baker was joined by three other “mermaids” as they took a plunge to raise awareness for breast cancer at Zero Gravity Scuba Academy in Rynfield on October 14.
Baker (aka Mermaid Storm), Heidi Leitch (Mersah) and Adele Allers (Mermaid Skyla), as well as newbie Bridgette Mokoena, painted the heated pool pink with their costumes in honour of women battling breast cancer.
Baker encouraged women to do regular examinations so that the cancer could be detected early.
“It’s about creating awareness so that women know what to do. They need to do checks every month and go to the doctor if they see anything unusual because early detection is important,” she said.
Leitch shared Baker’s views, saying early detection was important and could prevent death.
“Women die of breast cancer and some have to have a mastectomy. For women to have breasts is what represents being feminine. It’s important to have something that makes you feel like a woman,” Leitch said.
Mokoena, whose aunt died of cancer, said it is important that women know about early detection and the importance of regular screenings.
“I lost my aunt to cancer so I came here to show my support for this initiative. Lots of women don’t know about early detection, diagnosis and regular check-ups. It’s always good to be mindful of such things,” she said.
Baker got her first mermaid tail 25 years ago but only became Mermaid Storm seven years ago and has been part of MerSwim SA since.
She said mermaid swimming was important for female empowerment.
“We try to help women to feel comfortable and confident in their bodies. We also help them learn new skills so that they can be happy in their own skin,” she said.
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