Dreamy Transformation

26 February 2009 – Aucklander Nadya Vessey, who lost both legs to a childhood illness, now swims as a mermaid might with a custom made wetsuit created for her by Wellington’s Weta Workshop. Vessey approached Weta with the ambition of making a tail that was both practical and beautiful and is delighted with the finished article. She added: “A prosthetic is a prosthetic, and your body has to be comfortable with it and you have to mentally make it part of yourself.” The unique articulated construction of the tail allows her to propel herself through the water with an undulating movement as if she was a  mermaid. The tail includes a poly-carbonate spine and tail fin that has been digitally printed with a stunning ‘scale’ pattern designed by one of Weta’s concept artists. Vessey says she is thinking of using the tail to help her complete the swimming section of a triathlon. She said: “I thought rather than just having it as a plaything, I would take it further.”