You Gotta Admit She's Persistent

August 19, 2012 10:53 AM

Diana Nyad is in the water again, trying to swim from Cuba to Florida. The "badass endurance swimmer," now 62 years old, is making her third recent attempt (after one try years ago), chalking it up to a persistent, competitive ego, despite her age. Among the biggest challenges she'll face: jellyfish and sharks. Twitter feed here. (previously, and previouslyer)
posted by BlahLaLa (21 comments total)

You can follow a map of her progress here.
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:55 AM on August 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

Big whoop. I mean, who wouldn't think a naiad could do this?
posted by yoink at 11:12 AM on August 19, 2012 [3 favorites]

Double.
posted by andoatnp at 11:18 AM on August 19, 2012

"It's not my ocean," she told Reuters, "but it is my dream."

Badass, indeed. I remember being amazed at her earlier exploits. Swim on,Nyad.
posted by Isadorady at 11:18 AM on August 19, 2012 [2 favorites]

Just keep swimming...
posted by The otter lady at 11:18 AM on August 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

Oh, also, someone needs to make a pixellated image of her with her body as a PopTart and rainbows shooting behind her, "Nyadnyadnyadnyadnyad--"
posted by The otter lady at 11:19 AM on August 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

Good luck to her. I really hope she makes it this time.
posted by Sleeper at 11:23 AM on August 19, 2012

Not to go one about her name but ... gosh it's a palindrome, right?
posted by iotic at 11:41 AM on August 19, 2012

I didn't realize that she was the same person that I hear on Public Radio. Multi talented person.
posted by octothorpe at 12:07 PM on August 19, 2012

I'm sure there's a good reason for this, but can someone explain why her swim (from the progress map BlahLaLa posted) veers so far to the west? Why is this better than just swimming a straight line to Key West?
posted by marsha56 at 12:37 PM on August 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

Marsha56: If I had to take a guess, I'd go with currents or to avoid a dangerous reagion.

How is an American in Cuba? Is she not a US citizen?
posted by Canageek at 12:44 PM on August 19, 2012

I'm sure there's a good reason for this, but can someone explain why her swim (from the progress map BlahLaLa posted) veers so far to the west? Why is this better than just swimming a straight line to Key West?

Probably currents. Dunno nothing about that area, but if she's being pushed one way early in the swim, once she's far enough along, the currents may start pushing her the other way instead.
posted by Malor at 2:20 PM on August 19, 2012

My mom went to Emory with her in the sixties, until Nyad was kicked out of school for jumping out of a 4th floor window wearing a parachute.
posted by hydropsyche at 3:31 PM on August 19, 2012

She is persistent. Also, John William Waterhouse would have approved.
posted by bukvich at 3:53 PM on August 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

Nyad? Eponysterical, no?

Yes, yes, naiads are spirits of freshwater and not saltwater. But Nereid would be an even weirder surname. Also not palindromic with Dyan.
posted by Sara C. at 4:38 PM on August 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

I so badly want for her to pull this off!
posted by Iteki at 4:58 PM on August 19, 2012

I like to go for several-hour-long bike rides, but I am still trying to wrap my head around a 24-hour swim practice.

I really hope that she makes it this time.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 8:06 PM on August 19, 2012

I said it last time, and I'll say it again:

YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE THE CHEERING SECTION SHE HAS HERE IN KEY WEST
posted by Mike Mongo at 9:09 PM on August 19, 2012

I'm so glad she's trying again! She and Chrissie Wellington are my favorite athletes.
posted by bluefly at 7:37 AM on August 20, 2012

I'm bummed that she had to be pulled out, but I so admire her determination. Like I said, she went to college with my mom. My mom is in amazing shape for someone their age, but Diana Nyad just made it halfway from Cuba to Key West through 2 big storms, lots of jellyfish, and sharks. She is a reminder to me to keep my head down and keep swimming, both literally (for exercise) and through life.
posted by hydropsyche at 9:08 AM on August 21, 2012

I'm listening to Diana Nyad RIGHT NOW on Q and I love her. It's not just that she is telling some great stories about this most recent swim and her life (did you know that if you cover your head with pantyhose, box jellies will still sting you pretty badly on your lips?), but she's marvelous to listen to both speaking and singing (she has a lovely singing voice).

Q repeats at 10 Eastern time tonight, so you can try the CBC live stream from here, or you can look on the Q page for a stream starting some time tomorrow, or you can get it from their podcast.
posted by maudlin at 7:27 AM on September 19, 2012