How many CAO points for this?
A woman in the UK has quit her full-time job as a funeral director to become a professional mermaid.
Jasmine Seales from Basingstoke said she was miserable in her role and felt being a mermaid was a more appealing career path. Now, she trains in the water twice a week and can hold her breath underwater for a full two minutes and 35 seconds.
She told Louise Clarke on The Hub this week that she's much happier in her new role:
"It's the best job I've ever had. I love doing it."
"I've always loved mermaids. I've grown up around water, always being by the beach and stuff, and just loved being in the water. And then when I saw advertisement about mermaid camp, that's where it all started, really".
Being a mermaid is no walk in the park though.
Jamine has to train for hours at a time and now works at festivals, children's birthday parties, and other events across the country. She even had to go to mermaid camp to learn her craft:
"The camp is in a really nice country manor house in Gloucester, with a private pool and everything."
"So we have to hold our breath for like two minutes. Then we get trained how to like properly breathe down before you go under the water to achieve these long breath holds. And you have to be able to swim a certain distance. And we get underwater pose in techniques for underwater photo shoots."
Being a professional mermaid is quickly gathering popularity in the UK and Jasmine recently competed in the Miss Mermaid UK pageant. However, she told iRadio that although she find it rewarding, it's actually quite a tough gig:
"It was really difficult, like learning how to put the larger fins that all the professionals uses..."
"They're really heavy, they're like 35 pounds. It's hard work. It takes about half an hour to get in to a tail."
