61-Year-Old Woman Will Sing Bob Dylan Tunes While Swimming To Key West From Cuba

Diana Nyad is attempting to swim from Havana, Cuba to Key West Florida, a 103-mile haul. She started her journey yesterday, but before she hit the ocean, she spoke with Today‘s Natalie Morales. Turning 60 was the catalyst that sparked Nyad into action; she says, “I started thinking, I want to feel alive and alert and awake and challenged. I want to do something that takes everything in me.” This is Nyad’s second attempt at swimming to Florida from Cuba — she first tried in 1978, when she was 28, but was pulled from the water after she drifted too far off-course. So far, this time, Nyad is off to a “perfect start.” She sings Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin tunes with every stroke. Will age, experience and determination make this attempt successful? We’ll have to wait and see. But Nyad is already a success story, proving that whatever your dream, it’s never too late.

Nyad told CNN:

“When I walk up on those shores of Florida, I want to prove to the AARP crowd that it’s not too late to go back and write that book or adopt that child…

The joke is the 60s are the new 40s, and it’s true. … I want to be there to say we have many, many years of vitality and strength and service left in us.”

Nyad’s progress is being tracked online here.

At 61, She Attempts Perilous 103-Mile Swim [Today]
From Cuba To Florida: A 61-Year-Old Starts The 103-Mile Swim [NPR]
Diana Swim Tracker: Watch Nyad’s Progress [CNN]
Diana Nyad [Official Site]
Diana Nyad [Facebook]