Cuba to Florida – the Impossible Dream made a reality!

Cuba to Florida – the Impossible Dream made a reality!

by | Sep 5, 2013 | Extreme Sports, Extreme Swims, Inspiration

Huge Congratulations to Diana Nyad! Never too old to chase your dreams!

I believe in dreaming big. y for Diana Nyad - Cuba to Florida 2013 – Diana Nyad

5 attempts, spread out over 35 years, were needed until she finally made her dream come true and wrote history – with tremendous willpower, determination, patience, vision, faith, dedication and an absolute never-give-up-attitude! In “only” 52 hours, 54 minutes and 18.6 seconds (she expected to swim around 80 hours), supported by favourable currents and a huge team of helpers but without sleep or rest, long distance swimmer Diana Nyad conquered the approx. 103 miles (166 km) from Cuba to Florida – at age 64! Reaching Key West, Florida on Sept. 2nd 2013, around 2 p.m. local time, she became the first person to swim across the Florida Straits without a shark cage after Susie Maronie did it back in 1997 protected (and aided) by a cage.

After her 3 recent defeats in 2011 and 2012, when she was forced to stop due to life-threatening box jellyfish stings, and after 2 failed attempts by faster and younger accomplished long distance swimmers Chloe McCardel and Penny Palfrey, many thought her dream was simply impossible to realise. But Diana was determined to give it a last try and again put everything into it – body, mind, heart and soul. Plus creativity and inventiveness. And with the help of an amazing team of specialists in many fields and believers in her vision including individual sponsoring from all over the world now everything seemed to come together. Even Mother Nature seemed to send her blessings, letting her swim in an almost strait line supported by the currents, in mostly calm seas and with only one small thunderstorm during the first night. Her main problem this time was sickness – the difficulty to keep feedings down.

Her mantra: “Find a way”

Diana did not swim completely according to English Channel rules, but her use of a mask and suit to protect herself against deadly box jelly fish especially at night, allowing herself to be touched, and using a streamer to help her swim in a straight line, does not necessarily take away from her accomplishment, which included incredible amounts of solitary training hours – it rather shows her determination and creativity to find a way to reach her goal.

“I have three messages”

Barely able to speak with exhaustion and a swollen mouth after her arrival on her “Other Shore”, she still had 3 messages to offer:

  1. we should never ever give up;
  2. you are never too old to chase your dreams;
  3. it looks like a solitary sport but it is a team.

Diana-Nyad-Cuba-Florida-Swim2

 

Diana Nyad - Open Water Swimming Conference Long Beach 2012

Holding the Peace Torch with Diana Nyad at the Global Open Water Swimming Conference on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Sept. 2012

 

 

 

 

 

More in many articles and videos:

Jose Miguel Diaz Escrich, the Hemingway Marina commodore who helped organize the Cuba side of Nyad’s multiple attempts, is quoted by USA today:
Diana-Nyad-Other-Shore“More than the athletic feat, she wants to send a message of peace, love, friendship and happiness … between the people of the United States and Cuba,” he said.
Shortly (end of September), Diana Nyad is releasing her feature-length documentary film, The Other Shore, about her “jaw-dropping journey” to manifest her → Xtreme Dream.

“The fullness of life lies in dreaming and manifesting the impossible dreams.” – Sri Chinmoy

Also interesting to read:

Jackie Cobell: slow but steady – an epic swim. New world record for the longest solo across the English Channel

Jackie Cobell: slow but steady – an epic swim. New world record for the longest solo across the English Channel

by | Jul 27, 2010 | Channel swim videos, Extreme Sports, Inspiration, Successful Channel swims

Jackie Cobell world record swim

Jackie Cobell world record swim EC Solo in 28 hours 44 min., here with Freda Streeter (mother of Alison, Queen of the Channel, and legendary EC swimmers’ coach) – map courtesy of ZimHippo

Saturday morning, July 24th, around 7:30 continental time, a swim started on Shakespeare beach that was to hold swimmers all over the world in its grip for over a day: 56 year old Jackie Cobell from London set off with Lance Oram (Sea Satin) and crew for France. It was the end of the neap tides (6 m and 6.2 m), with SW and SSW winds up to 14 knots according to Sandette Light ship. Like so often with slower swimmers, the swim started 1-2 hours before high tide, so the route looks unusual right from the beginning.  13 hours or so later Jackie reached the middle of the separation zone – half way geographically, while the average time for this year’s Channel swims (including relays) so far has been 13 hours 54 min. (last year: 13 hours 15 min)! Even at the next change of tides (after 6+ hours) she was still far from France – many would have given up by now.

Through the night

There was hope she would be able to make it on the next tide – and many of us woke up in the middle of the night around 3 or 4 a.m. to check the AIS-tracking to see if she was still hanging in there – and she was! They were nearing the sandbanks east of Calais, but then the tide carried her back west towards Cap Griz Nez and Calais again.

When I got up Sunday morning and checked the internet first thing she was still swimming! When I finally left at 9:30 a.m.  for my “long swim” in the Silbersee (only 6 hours, I was so late!) she was still swimming! While I was at the lake I had a good feeling about her. Still, when I came home in the evening and checked the net, I was anxious: did she finish? SHE DID! She finished around Sunday noon  – after 28 hours 44 min. (inofficial) in 15-16 degree water and similar air temperatures through the night and morning! Apparently without ever complaining or thinking of giving up! At the end, when she could almost touch the ferries going out of Calais harbour, it still took her 2 more hours to touch the sandy beach west of Calais harbour at 12:13.

See the > BBC video and interview

> Daily Telegraph article > Daily Mail

Kevin Murphy, King of the Channel (34 crossings) wrote to her on our Channel Chat group:

“Jackie

Your courage and determination are an inspiration to us all, during the swim itself and during the years you have spent training in Dover.

When the going gets tough; when the demons threaten our will to keep putting one arm in front of the other; we just have to remember – Jackie did it and achieved the dream.

I confess that when I first met you I had my doubts. I should have known better.

More than most, I have a fair idea what you went through and I add my voice to those from around the world who salute you.

Your swim will be remembered in the annals of Channel swimming as a true epic.

Kevin Murphy”

Only a few days before Australian marathon champion Chloe McCardel (25) had done her successful double crossing in only 21 hours 48 min. (after not being able to finish the second leg last year) – the beauty of  determination and speed and the beauty of determination and persistance!

The last few days were a perfect illustration for one of my favourite aphorisms by my late teacher Sri Chinmoy, which explains in a few simple words the value of such “otherworldly” achievements:

“Individual self-transcendence collectively inspires humanity at large.” – Sri Chinmoy

Also very true but not at all easy:

“It does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop.” – Confucius