A symbol of friendship between
our peoples
Comments by Vice President Miguel
Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, member of the Political Bureau
of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of
Cuba, during the decoration ceremony in which to
U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad was awarded Cuba’s Order of
Sporting Merit.
Havana, August 30, 2014.
Dearest Ms. Diana Nyad, U.S. accompanying visitors,
representatives of Cuban institutions, and our
sports legends present here today.
Diana Nyad said, “If something really is important
to you, find a way, it is never too late to pursue
your dream...”
Diana’s great feat, swimming across the Florida
Straits, without flippers or a protective cage,
after four previous attempts, demonstrates once
again that human beings, when they base their dreams
on noble objectives, are capable of realizing them.
On September 2, after 52 hours, 54 minutes, swimming
continuously a distance of some 177 kilometers,
Diana arrived at Key West, becoming the first person
to achieve such a feat.
This admirable woman had already astonished the
world, when in 1975, she swam 45 kilometers around
Manhattan, in New York, in less than seven hours and
30 minutes.
In 1979, she swam 164 kilometers between an island
in the Bahamas and Florida, in 27 and a half hours.
Her strength of will, tenacity, perseverance and
determination to overcome what seemed to be
insurmountable obstacles, with the invaluable
support of her team of collaborators, have inscribed
a new chapter in sports history.
A few minutes after setting this record, without
having fully recovered from her enormous effort,
Diana sent other messages to the world, “You can
never give up… It looks like a
solitary sport, but
it's a
team effort.”
These principles are not unfamiliar to us. They are
similar to those which have guided the Cuban people
throughout their history: bravery, resistance,
unity, resolve, confidence and optimism.
Dearest Diana Nyad, it is a great honor to award you
the Order of Sporting Merit, the highest decoration
granted by the Republic of Cuba to outstanding
athletes. Accept it as recognition of your great
achievement, and as a symbol of friendship between
our peoples.
Thank you very much.
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