In the past week several reports, most originating from small numbers within a tight knit marathon community, questioned the veracity of Diana Nyad’s recent Cuba to Florida swim. The skeptics’ claims began to gain traction after reports of the discord within the marathon swimming community appeared in National Geographic, the USA Today and New York Times. Some have claimed she was aided in some way based upon the rate she swam for a period of time. Her navigator John Bartlett, who has an immense amount of experience in the gulf and boat builder in Key West, credits favorable currents with the increase in speed.
Nyad’s critics also assert that her swim is tarnished because she didn’t not adhere to English Channel rules – purportedly she was touched by her crew when they aided her in applying sunscreen and lubricants that prevent chaffing. OK, so? This wasn’t the English Channel. The English Channel is just short of 21 miles – Nyad swam over 5 times this distance. There is no reason why her swim should be tarnished based upon a lack of adherence to these rules.
I wasn’t there and I can’t report on exactly what transpired during every stroke of this swim. However, I was an observer during her second attempt in 2011 and I witnessed things that lead me to believe she did it. She was adamant in doing things right – briefing after briefing before this swim the instructions about feeding and touching were clear and everyone knew their role. She was stung three times by box jellyfish during this swim yet she remarkably continued swimming after each incident. After the third sting the pain was too much and the medical personnel insisted she be brought onto the boat for her own safety. But after a short while she regained her composure and recommitted herself to finishing what would have then been considered a ‘stage swim’. Her navigator John Bartlett repositioned the boat back to the exact coordinates and she resumed the swim. However, on this day well into the 40+ hour point, it was clear reaching Key West wasn’t going to be an option. From what I witnessed in 2011 Diana Nyad would swim to her death if left to her own devices – meaning once her mind is ‘locked in’ she doesn’t know how to quit. It took the advice of her most trusted crew members to convince her to stop on this swim.
So when I read reports she cheated, that her swim shouldn’t count or that there’s a lack of transparency which indicates a cover up, it’s unbelievable why people would say these things. From what I witnessed in 2011 neither Diana Nyad nor her trusted crew would engage in cheating or execute a cover up.
Based upon my experience combined with what I’ve read about this swim, and experts with whom I’ve spoken, I believe Diana Nyad did swim from Cuba to the shore of the Florida Keys. This is amazing. It’s not an assault on the other marathon swimmers who do amazing swims under varying conditions. It’s a different swim.
Swimming is great, it’s a sport I love and it’s super cool to see things like Anthony Ervin’s reemergence on the world stage, or an 8 year old swimming their first 25 fly, or a group of 90 year old men breaking a world record in a relay at the masters nationals. Diana Nyad’s swim has inspired untold numbers around the globe and if just one person woke up the next morning and said “I’m going to start swimming today” then it’s time to say “thanks Diana”.
Later this week Steven Munatones of Open Water Source will moderate a panel of experts to facilitate a question and answer session with Diana Nyad and her crew, I’ll be reporting back on the presentation later in the week.
See you in the water.
When a person is eating and in the water for 52 hours, sooner or later she or he will have to go #2.
Did Ms. Nyad do her business in the ocean? And if the answer is yes, should’nt she be cited for polluting the water? I know fish are allowed to do their “business” in the ocean, but what about humans?
“Diana Nyad would swim to her death if left to her own devices.”
This statement here is spot on—well said, Mike. I spent a couple of days with Nyad during SXSW for the premiere of her documentary The Other Shore. Watching the footage from her earlier swims and how she almost killed herself by continuing to swim through jellyfish, tropical storms, etc. and her refusal to quit was incredibly difficult to watch. Several people I was with commented, “This is how this woman is going to die.” It changed my perspective from “This woman is chasing her dreams!” to “This woman might be a little unhealthily obsessed and needs to let this go, for her sake and others’.”
Likewise,… Read more »
” people saying she did not do it are mostly males who don’t believe a female can accomplish something they could never do (full disclosure: I am male).” – A gross sexist generalization.
“people saying she did not do it are jealous losers.” – Not a smart statement.
Otherwise, I agree with PS.
She did the swim. She did not lose limb or life from sharks. She overcame the jellies. She got a nice funny top 10 from Letterman. IMO, nobody should care if she touched the boat several times. No way she went on board, because it is impossible to get 35 people to all lie together and hold that storyline. It would have leaked by now.
PS did separate facts from opinions. His opinion is these people are skewing the facts and I can’t help but agree with his opinion that they do come across as jealous losers.
I’m not sure how your opinion of his opinion not being a smart statement is any smarter of a statement.
Quick Facts:
– 35 people on a support crew cannot be held quiet if there is a conspiracy.
– with a current, swimmers can go EXTREMELY fast.
– the FINA Grand Prix 88km race in South America tends to be won in about 9 hours.
– that’s half the distance of Nyad’s swim, and about 1/6 the time.
– that’s :36.8 seconds per 100 meters – currents make a difference. (6.1 mph)
– people calling for her feeding plan have no business doing so. that is part of OW strategy.
– most people complaining on the sites I’ve seen are extremely slow swimmers (from the paces they say they hold). I notice that… Read more »
From everything i have read so far and all the comments above , PS , U have the most valuable elements and arguments put together . These elements give total credit to what she did ( even with no video of the swim ) and gives credit to accomplisments nobody even did before . When M Phelps went for 8 golds , many doubted his capacities to do so …. When i experienced the Tsumani in 2004 , i would have never expected myself to be so strong and relaxed that very day . Doubters doubt their own capacities to reach amazing accomplishments of their own . Their just project those frustrations on others great unexpected accomplishments ; It has… Read more »
This whole “conspiracy theory” is ridiculous. She had what 20-30 people witness the swim (divers, motor boat, kayakers), GPS, and video/photos. She never claimed to be following Channel rules, she’s claimed to have done the longest swim without shark cage. “Haters gonna hate.”
Your lack of intellignece is in full display by using the awful cliche, “haters gonna hate”. Nobody respects that term.
Carl Sagan once said “extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof”. I think if there are doubts, they should be cleared up. There is nothing wrong with having this discussion. And it is up to the Nyad camp to refute these doubts. Unfortunately, it looks like the entire swim was not videotaped and there is some confusion about the GPS data. I blame the Nyad team for not providing clear video and GPS evidence. Hopefully the whole thing will be cleared up one way or another.
Well said. What’s wrong with vetting the swim? This shouldn’t be a witch hunt, but if there are some doubts that need to be addressed, what’s wrong with addressing them? She had a large support team following her every move and it should not be difficult to prove that she did do what she claims to have done.
My feeling is that Ms. Nyad is a little bit nuts and a huge publicity hound. From what I have read, she has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in her quest to swim from Cuba to Florida.
Where does the money come from?
Does she work at some type of job to pay for all of this?
What is the main motivation to even try to swim a ridiculous distance in the ocean with a very large support group aiding her?
While I admire her grit, I question her sanity and need for recognition. There is no way on earth that I or any of my clear thinking swimming friends would ever even consider trying something like this.… Read more »
Nuts? After graduating from Pine Crest School in 1967, she entered Emory University, but was eventually expelled for jumping out a fourth-floor dormitory window wearing a parachute!
@Keith yes 7 hours… I don’t know where I got 27 from. Isn’t there supposed to be an official from the Guinness Book Of Records (or 21st century equivalent) to verify that everything that happened happened? In which case his or her word is final?
There were ‘independent observers,’ though there was some question as to their impartiality as at least one had a personal relationship with Nyad.