A little light-hearted news for a Sunday evening. Diana Nyad, a 61-year-old U.S. endurance swimmer, sets out this tonight to become the first person to swim the Florida Straits without the aid of a shark cage. A few details from the Associated Press:
Nyad is spending the day eating, hydrating and meeting with members of her support team ahead of the 103-mile (166-kilometer) swim from Havana to the Florida Keys. …
Special equipment will surround her with an electric current that Nyad won’t notice, but will keep most sharks at bay. Divers will be at hand to discourage those that get curious.
The feat will supposedly take about 60 hours to complete, so we’ll know in a few days whether she succeeded. I sincerely hope she does.
Motivational thought of the day: When it comes to doing something no one has ever done before, it really does appear to be a case of “mind over matter.” Consider the oft-cited example of the challenge to run a sub-four-minute mile. Before Roger Bannister did it in 1954, it was widely considered to be physically impossible. After Bannister broke the record, tens of men managed to run the mile that quickly. Pretty cool, huh? People are capable of some pretty incredible feats. Have HA readers set any records? Feel free to brag!
Join the conversation as a VIP Member