Diana Nyad does
it!
•
More than 52 hours in the water
swimming from Havana
to Key West
MIAMI.—U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad
completed her crossing of the Strait of Florida
without a shark protection cage, leaving Havana and
reaching the coast of Key West in Florida on
September 2.
|
Nyad being
pulled out of the water
after completing her swimming feat. |
Nyad, aged 64 years, had attempted
this feat on four previous occasions and this time
did the nearly 166-kilometer crossing with more
protection against jellyfish.
Speaking to the approximately 1,000
people awaiting her, including local authorities,
Nyad said, "You can always achieve your objectives,
and don’t resign yourself to being old."
The veteran swimmer began her latest
attempt at 9:00am, Saturday, August 31, departing
from the Hemingway International Nautical Club in
the Cuban capital, accompanied by a support group of
39 professionals, including divers, doctors, sailors
and other assistants.
When Nyad drew close to the Florida
coast, spectators surrounded her in the water to
welcome her.
During her successful sports career,
Nyad became the best long-distance swimmer in the
world and established several records, including
that of 7.57 hours around New York’s Manhattan
Island, at 50 years of age.
In June of this year, Australian
Chloe McCardel’s goal of swimming from Cuba to
Florida was frustrated after 11 hours due to
jellyfish stings. In 2012, British-Australian Penny
Palfrey also failed, abandoning her crossing due to
strong sea currents. To date, the likewise
Australian Susie Malroney has been the only person
to swim the Strait of Florida, protected against
shark attacks by a cage.
