Merle Liivand
Lady Merle Liivand (born 17 April 1991) is a competitive swimmer, aquapreneur, open water swimmer and mermaid swimmer from Tallinn, Estonia. Liivand splits her time between Estonia and Florida, U.S.A., where she trains and also coaches the next generation of swimmers. Her nicknames includes the Mermaid of Miami and Mermaid Merle.
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Honor
She was knighted by the Sovereign Constantinian Order of Cappadocia on 16 March 2025. This Order was created by the Roman Emperor Constantine I to honor his most valiant warriors after winning the battle at Milvian Bridge in Rome on 28 October 312 A.D. He bestowed this Order with the Principality of Cappadocia, an annexed Roman Province near Constantinople, Turkey.
Professional Career
Liivand is the CEO of SWIMERA that distributes swimwear and skincare as the official dealer in the Baltics and Scandinavia and serves as an ambassador of FINIS, Inc.
Competitive Swimming
- She was the Baltic States Champion in the 100m and 200m breaststroke and an Estonian National Swim Team member
- She was an Estonian National Team breaststroke specialist.
- She has been a part of many elite international competitions in her career, such as the World Youth Championships, the European Olympic Festival and the World Cup series.
- While in Florida, she also been invited to help work with the Special Olympics’ aquatic athletes.
Open Water Swimming Highlights
- Liivand completed the 2015 Swim Miami 10 km marathon swim
- Liivand won the women's division at the 2015 Swim Miami One-mile race
- Liivand participated in the 2016 Olympic 10 km Marathon Swimming Qualification Race, finishing in 2 hours 22 minutes in Setúbal Bay, Portugal
- Liivand won the women's division at the 2016 Swim Miami One-mile race
- Liivand represented Estonia in the 10 km marathon swim at the 2017 FINA World Swimming Championships in Lake Balaton, Hungary.
- Liivand finished 7th overall and 2nd in the women's division in the 200m breaststroke events at the 11th Winter Swimming World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia in March 2018.
- Liivand finished 6th in the 10 km race at the Swim Miami race on 6 May 2019 in Biscayne Bay, Florida.
- Liivand completed a 10 km mermaid swim at the WOWSA Ocean Fest in 2 hours 54 minutes 7 seconds in Redondo Beach, California on 6 October 2019, using a monofin. This mermaid swim was the longest of its kind in history.
- Liivand completed a solo 6.4 km Mother Earth Swim around the Venetian Islands in Miami, Florida on 9 May 2020, using a monofin.
- Liivand completed a solo 20.66 km mermaid swim in 6 hours 8 minutes 27 seconds in Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida on 20 August 2020, using a monofin
- Liivand completed a solo 30 km mermaid swim on 17 April 2021 in Miami Beach, Florida to set the longest mermaid swim in 9 hours 19 minutes.
- On 7 May 2022, she completed a 42 km mermaid swim in Miami Beach, Florida in 11 hours 54 minutes.
- Merle Liivand completed a solo 50 km mermaid swim in April 2023 around Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida in 14 hours 15 minutes.
- City of Miami (Florida) Mayor Dan Gelber proclaimed 17 April 2021 as Merle Liivand Day.
- She produced Mermaid On a Mission, a documentary film about the effect of plastic pollution on marine habitats and ocean preservation.
v*Merle Liivand completed a 10 km mermaid swim at the WOWSA Ocean Fest in 2 hours 54 minutes 7 seconds in Redondo Beach, California on 6 October 2019.
Videos
Merle Liivand on 17 April 2021 in Miami Beach, Florida swam a 30 km mermaid swim in 9 hours 19 minutes
Cover Girl Modeling
Liivand is the cover girl for both DERMASPORT Skincare and New Wave Swim Buoys and Viking Beauty Secrets.
2021 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year Nomination
She was nominated for the 2021 World Open Water Swimming Women of the Year Award. The winners and nominees of this category in the 2021 WOWSA Awards include:
Winner: Kate Steels (Great Britain)
First Runner-up: Elaine Burrows Dillane (Ireland)
Second Runner-up: Abhejali Bernardová (Czech Republic)
4. Mayra Santos (Brazil)
5. Merle Liivand (Estonia)
6. Shu Pu (Hong Kong)
7. Sarah Thomas (USA)
8. Amy Ennion (Great Britain)
9. Lexie Kelly (USA)
10. Maria Cotignolo (Uruguay)
11. Chloë McCardel (Australia)
12. Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil)
13. Abigail Fairman (USA)
14. Kerry Kopke (South Africa)
15. Carina Bruwer (South Africa)
External links
- Swimming and Sustainability in the World of Paul Asmuth
- Lady Merle Liivand Honored By Estonia
- Lady Merle Liivand Goes From The Sea To Hollywood
- Mermaid Merle Knighted As Lady Liivand
- Ice Dippers Formalize Their Competitive Community at the Minnesota Ice Swim and Plunge
- International Ice Swimming Association bio
- Women In Their 30's: Greatness Defined
- Merle Liivand Does Her Own Stunts
- Mermaid On a Mission
- Merle Liivand Addresses World Leaders in Davos
- Merle Liivand Sets Her Fourth Mermaid Swim Record
- Mermaid On The Mission To Save The Ocean
- When Grandmothers Stand Up - Swim For Ukraine
- Merle Liivand Makes It On Ripley's Believe It or Not!
- Sign The COP26 Sports Community Manifesto
- EcoAthletes To Support The COP 26 In Glasgow, Together With Lewis Pugh
- Women’s Olympic 10K Marathon Swim Finalists For Tokyo
- Canada’s Kate Sanderson Is Heading To The Tokyo Olympic Games
- Spain's Paula Ruiz Bravo Is Heading To The Tokyo Olympic Games
- Hungary's Anna Olasz Is Heading To The Tokyo Olympic Games
- Olympic Dreams To Be Made In Setúbal Bay – The Women
- Merle Liivand’s Day In Miami
- Merle Moves Mermaid Swim To Miami
- MERMAID Birthday World Record attempt to save Oceans
- World Record 30 KM mermaid swim for 30th Birthday
- 30-30-30: Merle To Attempt Mermaid Swim World Record In The Bahamas
- Merle Liivand Completes 20 km Mermaid Swim
- Mermaid Merle For Maxim
- Merle The Mermaid Completes The First Mother Earth Swim
- Celebrate The Mother Earth Swim On Mother’s Day
- Mermaid Went On Marathon Mission, Then Appears On FINIS Friday
- Women Making A Difference
- Twins Establish A Global Legacy In Redondo Beach That Extends Around The World
- Mermaid Making A Difference
- DERMASPORT
- SWIMERA
- Merle Liivand, FINIS Ambassador
- @Merle Liivand
- Viking Beauty Secrets
- Breaststroke Drills with Estonian National Champion Merle Liivand
- Merle Liivand Spreading The Word From Estonia
- The Long And Short Of A First-time 10K
- Cover Girl Crazy
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Open Water Swimming
- Merle Liivand Makes Estonian History In The Open Water
- Pompano POWER To The People
- Swimming Sane, Merle's Motivation
- Marathoning Merle
- Estonia To Host World's Winter Swimming Championships
- Tobias Wybierek, Aleksandra Bednarek Victorious In Tallinn
- Mermaid Merle To Marathon
- Heidi Ullrich Touches Out Sandra Frimerman In Swim Miami
- Merle Liivand Facing Opportunities In The Open Water
