A woman has spoke about how a fear of beach holidays was caused by watching the classic movie Jaws.
Some people believe lying in the sun with the sand between your toes is a slice of heaven but for one woman it was hell for 30 years after watching shark flick.
Speaking to Birmingham Live, Christine Edwards revealed how she overcame a three-decade-long terror of entering water.
The Steven Spielberg flick left her fearful of going anywhere near the waves – until she looked a shark in the eye for the first time.
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The ex-teacher, from Wythall, Worcestershire, swam with an Angel Shark in Tenerife before taking up scuba diving.
Remarkably, the 60-year-old has now swum alongside thousands of sharks in the wild – including a large Bull Shark and even a Hammerhead.
She has penned a children's book titled 'Sharks Are Scary Aren't They?' to help stop kids developing the same fear she did.
Christine said: "In 1975, I went to see Jaws as a 12-year-old and was left terrified of sharks and going in the sea.
"If we went to a beach, I was too afraid to go in the water. I just believed sharks could be out there.
"I was like that for over 30 years and then when I was 44 I was convinced to try a scuba dive.
"I was in Zanzibar with friends and I realised I had to fight the fear. It was something I had to do."
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After spending a whole day "working herself up to it" she agreed to dive in the pool. But later found herself in the sea and was instantly in love.
"As soon as I went under the water I couldn't believe the world underneath," she said. "Although I was trembling I knew I didn't want to miss out on this. Even for my first 100 dives my heart would be racing. My mouth went dry and I'd feel sick with fear."
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'Sharks Are Scary Aren't They?' is about 12-year-old Charlie Parker who has a fear of sharks but faces up to it after meeting a retired dentist and keen scuba diver on holiday.
Some readers have called it "uplifting", "moving" and said it "should be read by all ages".
Christine is hoping to tour the book around schools in Birmingham and Worcestershire in the coming months.
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