Earlier this month, 64-year old Diana Nyad gave three pieces of advice immediately after she emerged from the water, after swimming 52-hours from Havana, Cuba to Florida. On September 2, Nyad became the first person to have accomplished this treacherous swim without the aid of a shark tank – a device that protects the swimmer from sharks and has the added benefit of creating a drafting effect that pulls a swimmer along. Despite her obvious exhaustion, she was able to impart wisdom to the crowds of people who cheered her to shore and the cameras that captured this first-time event.
Nyad said, “One is we should never, ever give up. Two is you never are too old to chase your dreams. Three is it looks like a solitary sport, but it’s a team.”
Nyad knows first-hand that refusing to give up is a key to success. This was Nyad’s fifth attempt to complete the 110-mile swim. She also knows that age should not limit your dreams. Four of these five attempts occurred when Nyad was at least 60-years old. And finally, like many accomplished individuals, Nyad recognizes that she could not have been successful without the help of others.
CNN reports that Nyad hopes to inspire Americans who she fears “have gotten depressed, pinned in, pinned down with living lives they don’t want.” Depressed or not, most Americans could use Nyad’s story to jump-start the pursuit of put-off dreams.
Congratulations Diana! Thank you for your fighting spirit, your keen determination, and your words of inspiration. Thank you for reminding us that the 2004 Adidas advertising slogan, “Impossible is Nothing,” should be our mantra in sports and in life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Kovgl9VsFXc