My CNN News alert has just emailed me to say that swimmer Diana Nyad, who is 64, is only two miles shy of finishing her swim from Cuba to Florida. The journal is 103 miles, she’s not in a shark cage, and this is her fifth attempt.
Now she’s not the first person to do the swim: it was done in 1997 by Susie Maroney (aged 22). But Maroney used a shark cage, so Nyad’s achievement is a real first.
But Nyad is nearly three times that age, and, as a relative oldster, I have to say that I’m pleased as punch at Nyad’s success. (I’m assuming she’ll make it, of course.)
I am someone who, at a much younger age, finished the Big Shoulders 5K swim in Chicago three times. THAT was plenty for me; I can’t begin to imagine doing what she did.
Many years ago, a much younger me swam a 10Km (~6 miles,in a pool) and literally could not lift my arms above my shoulders when I was through. The idea of swimming continuously for a couple of days is mind-boggling. Nyad has earned my respect even if she can’t finish the last couple of miles.
I like swimming but doing it for days? And without a shark cage? I’ll leave that to braver and fitter people than me.
“it was done in 1997 by Susie Malroney (aged 22), also without a shark cage.”
Small quibble, Susie Maroney.
Fixed that, and Greg also informed me that Maroney did use a shark cage, so I’ve fixed that, too. Thanks.
A naiad, in Greek mythology, was a water nymph.
Although spelled differently, it it pronounced the same as this courageous lady’s name.
Everything I’ve read on the net says that Malroney used a shark cage.
Nyad? More like Naiad! I too have done some very modest long-distance swimming and am deeply impressed by her feat!
Beat me to it!
While I’m awe-struck at her feat, I can’t help but wonder if she isn’t using a stage name.
Indeed, it makes you wonder.
Journal?
Good on Diana Nyad. Not just for achieving the feat, but for doing so after so many valiant, and painful, failured attempts. She’ll go into the annals of swimming history alongside Lord Byron and Captain Webb.
SHE DID IT! Reports CNN…
Have been an admirer since her Olympic days. The woman is a winner in every respect.
I’ll probably be banned but what the heck.
Why is it necessary to say that two murderers were “clearly” homosexual but not that the athlete of the day is a lesbian? You also found irrelevant the revelation about a very important astronaut when she died.
I know you’re not a bigot. But perhaps you should ask yourself why your genes make you behave this way.
If possible, keep this to yourself.
I do like your site very much and after a few early stupid comments have kept mum. Couldn’t pass this up, though. I admire you as much as one can a person one’s own age.
I realize now that I haven’t gone through this last post. My apologies if you do mention it.
This is the kind of comment that makes me despair, and also marvel at the rudeness and incivility of people.
First, if you’re talking about Sally Ride and my obituary for her, you missed the post in which I said I had no idea that she was gay. You can read that one here.
And the same is true of Diana Nyad: until today I had no idea she was gay. I knew she was an Olympian and had tried to swim from Cuba to Florida several times before.
But of course you, rude person, didn’t inquire whether I knew that, and apparently missed my post on Sally Ride.
As for Leopold and Loeb, I did know they were gay and, more important, Richard Loeb’s homosexuality was probably the reason he was murdered in prison. The achievements of neither Nyad nor Ride had anything to do with their being gay, and I’m not sure that had I known of their homosexuality, I would have mentioned it.
But no, you, rude person, have to turn my ignorance into a snarky implication that I’m somehow biased against gay females but not against gay males (or the reverse, since I’m not sure what nasty place you’re coming from).
Anyway, yours is one of the most ignorant and rude posts that has appeared here. I won’t ask you to apologize, since someone of your tenor wouldn’t do that. I will ask you to go elsewhere, since there are plenty of sites where you are welcome to make nasty and untrue insinuations.