After pursuing her dream for 35 years, Diana Nyad (age 64) swam the 110 miles from Cuba to Florida. She is the first person to do so without a shark cage or flippers.
From CBSNews.Com:
“Dazed and sunburned, the athlete waded ashore finally free of the protective silicone mask that had bruised her mouth and of a fully-body ‘jellyfish suit’ that she conceded were necessary for the swim she began Saturday — even if they weighed down her crawl strokes.
She was free, too, of the nagging demons that drove her to attempt the treacherous crossing five times. She tried three times in 2011 and 2012. Her first attempt was in 1978.
As she approached the shore, spectators surrounded her in the water, taking pictures and cheering her on. She swam within a couple dozen feet of the beach and walked on to dry land.
Once on the beach, she was put on a stretcher and received medical treatment, including an IV. CBS News’ Elaine Quijano reports she was treated at a hospital and released Monday evening.
‘I have three messages. One is, we should never, ever give up. Two is, you’re never too old to chase your dream. Three is, it looks like a solitary sport, but it is a team,’she said on the beach.”
Diana Nyad‘s accomplishment reminds us of the power of persistence and community!
