Live life. Make waves.

For the longest time when I thought of mermaids I thought of Ariel and the rest of the characters of The Little Mermaid. Helpful to others but fearful of the unknown.

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Then the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise showed mermaids in a very different light. These mermaids were ruthless, sneaky and downright deadly.

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Frankly I am not a fan of either option that was given to me by the film makers of Hollywood. 

As most of you know I am Polish and damn proud to be. Well in my travels to learn more about my ancestors culture I came across a story that in essence changed my life, not just the way I would view mermaids (real or not).

The legend of the Warsaw Mermaid is this...

'Once upon a time lived two mermaids in the Baltic Sea. These half-fish, half-women were beautiful sisters who had spent their whole existence in the sea, before apparently getting bored of the life aquatic. One day they both decided to come ashore. The first sister headed up to the Danish straits, and so she sits at the entrance to the port of Copenhagen to this very day. The other sister swam first to the port of Gdansk, from where she decided to swim the river Vistula to its end. Fortunately for our story, the mermaid decided to rest on a sandy bank on the foot of what is today Warsaw's Old Town and, like oh so many ex-pats in the city, she loved it so much that she chose to stay. 

Soon though, fishermen from the neighbouring village began to notice that someone was letting the fish out of their nets. Annoyed, they decided to capture the culprit and punish him. They didn't expect to find the mermaid, however, and as soon as they heard her beautiful voice, they vowed never to harm her. Soon, the mermaid would fill every evening with her gorgeous songs to the merriment of the villagers.

One day, a rich merchant was walking by the Vistula and spotted the mermaid. He had the bright idea, as merchants do, to capture her and show her off at a fair, making himself a fat profit in the process. He tricked her and threw her in a wooden shed, but her cries for help were so loud that soon a young fisherman's son heard her, and with the help of friends set her free. The mermaid, grateful for their aid, promised to defend them and their village, which would later grow into our beloved Warsaw.

Since then, the mermaid, armed with a sword and shield, has been protecting the city and its inhabitants. Today the mermaid of Warsaw can be seen all over the city, from the statue in the Old Town pictured below, to the city's coat of arms.' (Source) 

I mean come on! How bad-ass is she!?!

The reason I'm giving you all a history lesson is that I was just accepted as a Mermaid Club Ambassador. Their motto is #livelifemakewaves which could not be more fitting to what we all are doing.

Live Life Make Waves

Every day we push our own limits, we are making sure to enjoy life to the fullest and inspiring those around us. So very many of you have inspired me! And for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Although I recently fell off the wagon when it comes to training for my races you all have been amazing and supportive as I kick it into high gear to get back in shape and prepared for my next race. 

I feel there is a little Syreka (means little mermaid) in each if us as we protect each other on our running journeys. 

So get out there! Live life! Make waves! Be yourself unapologetically.