Diana Nyad Successfully Swims from Cuba to Florida making History

Diana Nyad Successfully Swims from Cuba to Florida making History

Diana Nyad walks ashore in Key West Monday after record swim from Cuba. credit: Andrew Innerarity/Reuters

After 4 unsuccessful attempts, 64-year old swimmer Diana Nyad makes history as the first person to successfully make the open water swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage for protection.

It was a 53 hour swim across 110 miles of open ocean for Nyad as she made it to shore in Key West on Monday, swimming all the way from Cuba.

Diana Nyad has been attempting this historic swim for the last 35 years. Today she completed the record swim in an official time of 52 hours 54 minutes 18.6 seconds, Nyad made the swim without the aid of swim fins or a wet suit. In the past is has often been swarms of jellyfish which have prevented Nyad from completing the swim.

“I have three messages,” Ms. Nyad, said after coming ashore on Smathers Beach in Key West, “One is we should never, ever give up. Two is you never are too old to chase your dreams. Three is it looks like a solitary sport but it takes a team.”

Nyad received a message of congratulations via Twitter from President Obama: “Congratulations to Diana Nyad. Never give up on your dreams.”


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