Adventures of a real–life mermaid

We speak to adventurer and children’s author Lindsey Cole about how her swim down the Thames dressed as a mermaid is inspiring young environmentalists.

With so much information about the world available at our fingertips, it’s almost incredible to think that there are still adventurers out there. But whether it is circumnavigating Australia with truck drivers or – as we shall see –swimming in some fairly unusual places, Lindsey Cole prioritises lived experience above theoretical knowledge.

“When I was travelling in Australia, I read a book called Follow the RabbitProof Fence, which is based on the true story of three Aboriginal girls who were forcibly removed from their home in 1931 and taken to a settlement to be assimilated into white society,” Lindsey says.

“A few months after I finished it, my dad died suddenly – I spoke to him in the morning and I said

I’d call him later because I didn’t have time to chat, but he had died by the time I could call back. I really struggled to deal with the grief and started selfharming because of the guilt I felt. But due to the timing between reading the book and my dad dying, I just kept thinking about the three girls. They were the epitome of heroes.

“When I came back to the UK, I signed up to do the London Triathlon. Every time I struggled with it, I thought about the girls. As I did more adventures over the years, whenever I struggled, I thought about the girls. So six years ago I decided to go back to Australia and walk across the country, retracing their journey. I was even taken in by their family; it was the most beautiful experience.”

Taking to the river

While Lindsey’s Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence adventure holds special memories for her personally, the turning point in her writing career actually came just a little later.

“After that walk, which took three months, I went to Bali to rest and recuperate. There, I learnt to freedive. One evening, on an ascent, I felt a sting on my hand. I thought it was a jellyfish bobbing away, but it was a bit of plastic that had cut me,” Lindsey says.

“The next day, scrolling through my phone, I saw photos of people diving wearing mermaid tails. I thought, why not try to swim the length of the River Thames as a mermaid to highlight how we are choking our waterways with plastic?”

In 2018 that idea became reality, and Lindsey swam the length of the Thames dressed as a mermaid, accompanied by friend and artist Barbara de Moubray in a canoe. While the swim in itself was notable, it was when Lindsey rescued a cow that had fallen into the river that she made national and even international news. That escapade turned her urban mermaid adventure into something more mythical – and literal.

“I ended up in The Sun and on the BBC, and there was even a cartoon made about me in Sweden,” Lindsey says.

“Because of the interest in my meeting with the cow, I decided to turn the adventure into a children’s book. It’s actually a really fun way to talk about the problem of plastic. I think there is a lot of doom and gloom in the environmental world, so the friendship between the mermaid and the cow seemed a much more fun way to talk about the plastic problem.

“A headteacher emailed me and asked for permission to turn my story into a school play because she said it had all the ingredients of a great children’s story. That’s true: if it was just about me and a load of rubbish, that’s an old story. But when you add the cow into things, it makes it more humorous. Also, I

How to inspire young eco-minds

“In the back of The Mermaid and the Cow, I give tips on what you can do to make spreading the eco message more fun. One thing is to turn it into a game. For example: how many pieces of litter can you pick up today?” Lindsey says. “Sometimes when I go into schools, I get teachers to ask the children to collect all the packaging from what they used at home that week, and never realised how much children like mermaids, but they really do!”

Room for magic

In fact, such has been the reaction to her book The Mermaid and the Cow, Lindsey has decided to write a whole series, with each book based on one of her real-life mermaid adventures. She has already swum up the Bristol Avon towing a poo sculpture to highlight the damage sewage pollution is doing to local wildlife, and is in the early stages of planning a swim in the Arctic to highlight melting sea ice in a book that will be called The Mermaid and the Polar Bear.

“I think it’s important for everyone to learn about environmental issues, and I think it’s good to make children feel empowered.

then we make a mural out of it. That reminds them of all the things they use and all the waste it creates.

“So just be light-hearted and fun. It’s a bit like the difference between saying don’t do something – ‘don’t’ is negative language – and saying do something, which makes it fun and positive. If you turn it into a game, they don’t even know they’re being helpful.”

For more on Lindsey and her work visit lindseycole.co.uk

They are the future generation and they can change the world that previous generations have messed up. Adults can get a bit tired because they have so many responsibilities. But children have no fear – give them the information and see what they can do with it,” Lindsey says.

“What I really love is the idea of magic, because once you get older you don’t really have the same aspect of magic in life any more. Some children don’t think I’m really a mermaid and they tell me. But even the fact they have to say it means that they are not entirely sure.

“One thing I’d like them to take away is the idea that they can do whatever they want. I hope it inspires them so if they have an idea, they can just run – or even swim – with it.” CP

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