flipping awesome.
When we were little kids, anything was possible. The sky was the limit and we were encouraged to dream big. But then we grew up. Then reality and “life” set in, and we slowly started to realize that we couldn’t be princesses, ninjas, and pirates (or princess ninjas) like we had originally planned. So we settled for other occupations. But not Hannah Fraser. As a professional mermaid, Hannah is living many a little girl’s fantasy as a modern day Ariel.
So what exactly does a professional mermaid do? Hannah grew up inspired by the ocean and created her first tail out of orange plastic material when she was just nine-years-old. She practiced free-diving and holding her breath underwater in the confines of her very own swimming pool, and after working as a model and artist for many years, she eventually started to create handmade mermaid tails and traveled the world performing as a mermaid for advertising events and television spots. She has also incorporated her mermaid role into the world of environmental activism.
Hannah regularly swims with dolphins in Hawaii and whales in Tonga, and ventured into the world of underwater filming with filmmaker Martin Selecki, who featured Hannah in his documentaries for the Belongil River Estuary Rehabilitation and the State Fisheries Department. She dedicates a percentage of her earnings towards various charities that benefit ocean conservation, and she also works with Surfers for Cetaceans and paddles out annually with actress Hayden Panettiere to protest the slaughter of dolphins in Japanese waters. She travels the world and talks about the importance of preserving the ocean and the animals that are a part of it.
Hannah serves as a great example for carving your own way in the world, particularly if the path you seek isn’t defined. Maybe we did have it right as kids after all. You can grow up to be anything you want. Even a mermaid.
