Holy bejeezus ...
Diana Nyad: I broke many records in my prime as a long-distance swimmer back in the 1970’s, in my twenties. For my world record—102.5 continuous miles from the Bahamas to Florida in 1979—and other swims, such as breaking the 50-year-old mark for circling Manhattan Island ... Yet my dream of swimming from Cuba to Florida was dashed in 1978, after fighting stiff winds and huge seas for 41hrs, 49 mins, and still not reaching the Florida coast ...
... Until a year ago, I hadn’t swum a stroke for 31 years. Swimmer’s burnout gripped me to the point that I could have sworn I would never, ever swim a lap again in my life. But approaching 60 last year threw me into the existential angst of wondering what I had done with my life ... I started swimming a few laps, just to take some pressure off the knees from all the other activities I enjoy.
My workouts escalated. My motivation started to burn like a fire in my soul. One day I was driving, after a long swim, and I stopped and looked hard in the rearview mirror. And I said to myself: This is one dream I actually could go back and achieve. At 60, I could swim from Cuba to Florida. This time, without a shark cage.
But first, a little warmup swim ...
AboutDiana: On July 10th, at the age of 60, legendary open-water swimmer Diana Nyad will attempt to complete her first marathon swim in over 30 years. Nyad's triumphant return to long-distance swimming till take her 50 miles off the Florida Coast to begin a consecutive 24-hour swim through the Gulf Stream's open-water and back to the Florida shoreline, without a shark cage.
CNN Health: Diana Nyad chases a dream
Diana's Website
Wow.
....just a few of the many women in the OW community I bow down to.
Not to mention (just some of the low hanging fruit in this inspiring sport),
Vicki Keith -- First butterfly swim across the English Channel (July 10, 1989; 23 hr 33 min).
Dr. Julie Bradshaw -- Fastest butterfly swim across the English Channel (May 8, 2002; 14 hr 18 min).
Keith and Bradshaw are the only two people to have done it thus far. This month, Sylvain Estadieu will make an attempt. If he succeeds, he will be the first man to cross the English channel all butterfly.
30 Open Water Swimmers Known By One Name
These open water swimmers are luminaries of the sport. They are so renowned that any mention of their first name is immediately recognizable in the open water swimming world.
Their reputations and exploits, their attempts and successes, their travels and their writings are extraordinarily well-known among open water swimmers and many people in the general public ...
dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/.../30-open-water-swimmers-known-by-one-name.html
....just a few of the many women in the OW community I bow down to.
Not to mention (just some of the low hanging fruit in this inspiring sport),
Vicki Keith -- First butterfly swim across the English Channel (July 10, 1989; 23 hr 33 min).
Dr. Julie Bradshaw -- Fastest butterfly swim across the English Channel (May 8, 2002; 14 hr 18 min).
Keith and Bradshaw are the only two people to have done it thus far. This month, Sylvain Estadieu will make an attempt. If he succeeds, he will be the first man to cross the English channel all butterfly.
30 Open Water Swimmers Known By One Name
These open water swimmers are luminaries of the sport. They are so renowned that any mention of their first name is immediately recognizable in the open water swimming world.
Their reputations and exploits, their attempts and successes, their travels and their writings are extraordinarily well-known among open water swimmers and many people in the general public ...
dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/.../30-open-water-swimmers-known-by-one-name.html
