Diana Nyad, 61, Braves Swim From Cuba To Florida Without Shark Cage, Aims To Set World Record
Diana Nyad, a 61-year-old American long-distance endurance swimmer, has embarked on a mission to become the first person to swim from Havana, Cuba to Key West, Florida without a shark cage. Sounds terrifying, doesn't it?
You can watch Nyad swim live plus keep updated on her progress via CNN.
The exhausting stretch of ocean from Cuba to Florida totals 103 miles and is estimated to take 60+ hours. Nyad began her venture around 7:30pm on Sunday night. To put your minds slightly at ease, she is accompanied by two boats armed with shark shields, transmitting an electric shark field into the water. However, the shields fail to guard from Whitetip sharks, and divers will be standing by to harmlessly discourage any curious marine life, reports KVUE.
This marks the second time Nyad will attempt this feat. In 1978 at age 28 she attempted the swim, though within a steel shark cage, but was forced to abandon the mission due to ocean currents. Australian swimmer Susie Maroney successfully swam the shark-infested waters in 1997 with the use of a shark cage. Nyad currently holds the record for swimming from the Bahamas to Florida sans shark cage in 1979.
"I am much more in control of my emotions. I actually think I'm a better distance swimmer than I was in my 20s. In an emotional, mental sort of stance, I'm in an athletic prime even at just one month shy of 62," Nyad said, according to ABC News.
Nyad contributes weekly to KCRW - a public radio station broadcasted from Santa Monica College - in "The Score," a five-minute inspirational radio piece on sports.
Follow Nyad on Twitter (@diananyad) for updates on her hero(ine)ic journey.
