Local 'Mermaids' bond through water fitness course
Rashida Ali
Rashida Ali
Reporter · Dayton, OH
A graduate of Wright State University, Rashida has spent the last five years as a community reporter with the Dayton Weekly. Her focus on local stories has helped amplify the voices of marginalized communities, making her a beloved figure in the neighborhood.
More from Rashida →Reporter · Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 7:39 PM · 1 min read
They call themselves Mermaids. When a group of women took a water aerobics class together at the Vandalia Recreation Center, it set the tide for a beautiful friendship. "We started calling ourselves the Mermaids, and it just kind of snowballed from there," says Pat James, one of the Mermaids. 10 years later, the group get [...]