Long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad gets real about living her best life

Diana Nyad reflects on her historic swim from Cuba to Florida, lessons of forgiveness, and the challenges and pleasures of aging.

Air Date: October 31, 2025 12:00 pm

American endurance swimmer Diana Nyad , 61, swims in Cuban waters, offshore Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011. Nyad jumped into Cuban waters Sunday evening and set off in a bid to become the first person to swim across the Florida Straits without the aid of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)

Champion marathon swimmer Diana Nyad had three messages when she staggered out of the water after completing her historic 2013 swim from Cuba to Key West: Never ever give up. You are never too old to chase your dreams. No one achieves greatness alone.

Nyad first attempted the grueling 110-mile crossing in 1978 at age 28, then again in 2011 and 2012. Each time the powerful currents, the sharks, and the deadly box jellyfish forced her to abandon her quest to be the first person to make the crossing without a shark cage.

On her fifth try, at age 64, she finally made it, swimming for nearly 53 hours, becoming the first person to complete the crossing. Nyad has said that facing her 60s and feeling her own mortality became a powerful motivator. Now in her mid-70s, she says she’s living the best decade of her life.

This week, Diana Nyad joins us to reflect on her extraordinary career, her relentless drive, the healing power of forgiveness, and the lessons of aging.

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