In November 2023, a small dream came true: I organized, together with two teammates, my very first mermaid clinic for our swimming club, Gay Swim Amsterdam (GSA).
For some time, I had been thinking how wonderful it would be if our club occasionally incorporated mermaid swimming. With the clinic, I wanted to get people excited and let them experience how fun it is.
Although I have a lot of experience organizing and getting things done through my work and political background, this felt a bit more nerve-wracking. In social activities, interactions and expectations can go in unpredictable directions—while at work, people are more likely aligned toward the same goal, which makes social dynamics easier.
What’s beautiful is that my passion for mermaid swimming gave me the push to step outside my comfort zone—not only by swimming myself, but also by organizing a purely social event. After years of personal growth, I felt ready for this—it was as if everything came together at just the right moment.
Together, we set up the clinic. We contacted a mermaid school that arranged instructors and enough mermaid tails. The turnout exceeded our expectations: two groups of seventeen participants in total, spread across two time slots at Sloterparkbad. Some came with their partner or a friend, adding an extra social element to the day.
The clinic itself was a cheerful chaos. People giggled the moment they put on their first tail, floundered awkwardly, but soon began gliding through the water gracefully. Both the mermaid school and we captured the fun with plenty of photos and videos.
We received an incredible amount of enthusiastic feedback—especially during the after-swim gathering and in the days that followed. Everyone had a great time. The atmosphere was joyful, open, and curious. Several people asked if there would be a follow-up—some even during the first drink. That was exactly what I hoped for: that it would ignite something.
But 2024 turned out differently. Due to busy schedules and limited availability within the team, organizing a second clinic didn’t work out. That was a big disappointment for me. There was even a moment when I almost decided to give up on the idea within GSA. Maybe I should look outside the club?
Until, toward the end of the year, Eduardo and Luca unexpectedly asked, “Hey, when are we organizing another clinic? We’ve got friends who would love to join.” And there it was again—the spark. Maybe this really was just the beginning.