The magical Devon Mermaid who comes to life in the water
On dry land Kathryn Collings has to use a wheelchair, but when she puts on her tail and slips into the water she finds freedom
The magic of swimming as a mermaid is helping Kathryn Collings to manage a chronic pain condition which means she has to use a wheelchair when she is on dry land.
But when she puts on her tail and slips into the water, the 24-year-old says she feels graceful, free and more human again.
Now she is part of a growing community of mermaids throughout Devon and around the world.
The Teignmouth Mermaid first found fame throughout the South West for her amazing singing abilities. Originally Kathryn dressed as a pirate when she was performing, but the long dress and cloak caught in the wheelchair and once she was nearly strangled.
Dad Steve came up with the idea of dressing as a mermaid - not realising that it would also help his daughter cope with the Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and non-epileptic attacks which short-circuit the brain and send her whole body into spasms that can put her into hospital for up to three weeks at a time.
She had been dressing as a mermaid for about three years to perform as a singer at Sea Shanty Festivals throughout the South West.
