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Diana Nyad Makes History Swimming from Cuba to Florida
Diana Nyad Makes History Swimming from Cuba to Florida
And even gets a shout-out from President Obama
September 02 2013 3:10 PM EST
February 05 2015 9:27 PM EST
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Diana Nyad Makes History Swimming from Cuba to Florida
On Diana Nyad's fifth attempt at swimming from Cuba to Florida--25 years after she first tried--Nyad, now 64, successfully reached Key West after more than 50 hours in the water.
Her 110-mile swim set numerous records, including the first Cuba-Florida crossing for a swimmer without use of a shark cage. In contrast to her previous journeys, Nyad enjoyed relatively moderate weather, good currents and a far smaller number of the dangerous box jellyfish.
"You're never too old to chase your dreams," she said to supporters and camera crews on the beach, before falling into the arms of her best friend and chief trainer, Bonnie Stoll.
Among the congratulations from Nyad's many followers who tracked her progress through the night via Twitter and her website was one superfan, President Obama (although it wasn't signed "-BO" so may mean he didn't personally write it).
\u201cCongratulations to @DianaNyad. Never give up on your dreams.\u201d— Barack Obama (@Barack Obama) 1378145038