Five Guinness World Records. Seven Baltic States titles. Recognized by Arnold Schwarzenegger, named among the 100 most impactful people alongside the Rockefellers, and honored by the World Economic Forum as a top Climate Voice. Meet Lady Merle Liivand, the Estonian monofin swimmer known as “Lady Mermaid.”
Fearless in every water
Liivand has won six Winter World Championship golds in 0–5 °C water, set sauna and ice – swimming relay world records, won a SwimRun World Cup race in Austin and qualified for the 10 km Olympic marathon swim. She has swum with Navy SEALs to raise awareness of veterans’ mental health. For her drowning-prevention work, she has received lifetime achievement awards, the title Dame of Merit, and recognition as the first female Project Valor superhero.
Bringing American swimming to the Baltics
Through Finis Nordic and Swimera, Liivand has landed deals with top US brands FINIS and GoSwim.tv, the technique video analysis provider for US Swimming and Team USA Triathlon. Swimera now also represents Olympic pool builder Myrtha Pools and SBR Sports, maker of chlorine-protecting skin and hair care. Swimmers can shop the gear at finisnordic.eu. She is also co-owner and head of sustainability at Viking Beauty Secrets, a Nordic organic skincare brand with 10 international beauty awards and major contracts in America.
Measuring the ocean with Apple tech
With Seattle-based Tini Scientific, Liivand is turning Apple smartwatches into ocean sensors. Tini’s app uses the watch’s GPS, barometer and thermometer to record water conditions, so every swim adds data from coastlines research ships rarely reach. Former Apple CEO John Sculley met Liivand at a Wavemakers event and embraced her ocean mission. As a Team Ocean ambassador, she was also chosen for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Miami commercial and activation, raising awareness for ocean conservation. The activation brought Miami Beach an estimated $2.55 million in economic impact. Her next record may be measured not in seconds, but in data. What is certain is that Liivand will keep building strong Baltic swimming, bringing top technologies and sport solutions to the region through Swimera and Finis Nordic.
