She announced it at the end of last year, but she is almost ready to attempt it. 61-year-old champion swimmer Diana Nyad, wants to be the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage.
CNN reports this will not be her first try.
"Diana is attempting in early August. She is going to be attempting a swim from Cuba to Key West. It's something she tried to do in 1978 and they had to pull her out of the water after 42 hours because of bad weather and she was still fifty miles away from shore."
The question is—why now? On her personal website Nyad explains the challenge is more than a personal dream.
"I feel the collective presence of people my age and I hope they are going to see me and they are going to say, 'Did you see that?' that woman went back and chased her dreams. And we can, all of us can, it's not too late to do everything you want in life. 'I can feel your spirit'"
Can Nyad swim from Cuba to Florida? She has proved she can swim that long--though she was in her thirties.
KVUE-TV: "But is it physically possible for someone to swim a hundred and three mile distance? Consider this. The world record holder in long distance ocean swimming, Diana herself, successfully swam a hundred and two point five miles from the Bahamas to Florida. But after all, that was more than thirty years ago. Still, Diana says her body is ready."
But her physician is not of the same opinion. He told The Washington Post her plan is way too ambitious--she will be out there, in the water and isolated. And the Post says the dangers are in fact numerous.
"It's an undertaking of untold hazards that is projected to require 60 hours of continuous swimming. In addition to sharks there will be risks from man o' war jellyfish as well as hypothermia, dehydration and cardio-arrhythmia. But the real danger is the unknown."
CNN reports this will not be her first try.
"Diana is attempting in early August. She is going to be attempting a swim from Cuba to Key West. It's something she tried to do in 1978 and they had to pull her out of the water after 42 hours because of bad weather and she was still fifty miles away from shore."
The question is—why now? On her personal website Nyad explains the challenge is more than a personal dream.
"I feel the collective presence of people my age and I hope they are going to see me and they are going to say, 'Did you see that?' that woman went back and chased her dreams. And we can, all of us can, it's not too late to do everything you want in life. 'I can feel your spirit'"
Can Nyad swim from Cuba to Florida? She has proved she can swim that long--though she was in her thirties.
KVUE-TV: "But is it physically possible for someone to swim a hundred and three mile distance? Consider this. The world record holder in long distance ocean swimming, Diana herself, successfully swam a hundred and two point five miles from the Bahamas to Florida. But after all, that was more than thirty years ago. Still, Diana says her body is ready."
But her physician is not of the same opinion. He told The Washington Post her plan is way too ambitious--she will be out there, in the water and isolated. And the Post says the dangers are in fact numerous.
"It's an undertaking of untold hazards that is projected to require 60 hours of continuous swimming. In addition to sharks there will be risks from man o' war jellyfish as well as hypothermia, dehydration and cardio-arrhythmia. But the real danger is the unknown."
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario