The Mercy
“Growing up, I always wanted service to be a part of my life,” said Nicole, who hails from Maple Ridge. “That’s why I became a nurse, and why volunteering on Mercy Ships appealed to me.”
While serving on a Mercy Ship in Guinea, Nicole discovered the Nettle’s Tale crowdfunding campaign online. There was one reward offered to a $1,000 pledger – having your own swimsuit custom-designed. She got three friends on board immediately, all fellow workers on the ship, and they shared the cost of the pledge amount.
“Every Nettle’s Tale swimsuit supports a different cause, and I loved the idea of helping design something to benefit an organization I strongly believe in,” said Nicole. “So we used our pledge to introduce a Mercy Ships swimsuit on the Nettle’s Tale shop."
To listen to the story told in an exclusive CBC Radio Interview with Julia Church (founder of Nettle's Tale) and Nadine Kapteyn (Nurse & Mercy Ships Volunteer, far right above) you can click here
“This is the first time we’ve designed a suit with multiple body types in mind,” said owner Julia Church, who involved all four Mercy Ships volunteers in the design process. “We knew right off the bat that it needed to be versatile, and also that modesty would be a key factor.”
“Working on a hospital ship that goes around the world, you’re making contact with diverse cultures; sensitivity to each culture’s values is really important,” said Nicole. “Julia was game to follow the Mercy Ships dress code in her design, because we all wanted it to be an option for anyone who works for this organization – now or ten years from now.”
This suit features bottoms that are short enough to swim in, but not so short that you'll constantly be adjusting them, and a classic tankini top with built in sports bra support alongside straps that can be worn three different ways.
