At age 8, Diana Nyad first dreamed of swimming across the Strait of Florida. Who knew that more than 50 years later, she would be able to achieve that dream while the entire world watched. Now 64 years old, Nyad is the first person to have completed the swim without a shark cage.
On September 2nd at about 2:06 PM, she completed the 100+ mile swim from Cuba to Florida. At the finish line, she gave the surrounding crowd three messages: “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’s a team.”
Diana Nyad in very good spirits 24 hours into her swim:
Nyad tried and failed to complete this treacherous swim four times due to a combination of jellyfish stings, asthma attacks, and rough waters. Before attempting the swim this September, she announced that this would be her final attempt, no matter the outcome.
Nyad’s incredible accomplishment should be something everyone should find inspiration in; however, Nyad has been receiving criticism about her swim. Skeptics claim that Nyad held onto a boat for seconds while she was eating, while she promises that the entire swim was “in squeaky clean, ethical fashion.” Others question why her speed changed so drastically during the swim, doubling at times. Oceanographers affirm that the current of the sea can make such drastic changes in speed. Some are even questioning her use of a full body suit to protect her from venomous jellyfish.
These skeptics need to spend less time thinking about how to disprove that a 64-year-old woman could be the first person to accomplish this historic swim. We should all be celebrating this moment in history, not trying to find any excuse for why it shouldn’t count.