Diana Nyad, a motivational speaker, endurance athlete and out lesbian who turns 63 this week, is attempting to become the first person to ever swim the choppy 103 miles of ocean from Cuba to Florida.
Nyad has been setting world records in long-distance swimming for three decades, and has been inducted into the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame. This is her fourth attempt at this challenge: Previous efforts were thwarted by exhaustion, weather and painful jellyfish stings.
Her support team is documenting virtually every second of the adventure, which Nyad has dubbed her 2012 Xtreme Dream. If all goes well, Nyad will reach the U.S. sometime Tuesday.
She set off on Saturday and, within hours, an alert was issued that “Nick the shark diver” had been stung by a jellyfish.
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Oh, did we mention the sharks? There are so many of them in these waters that Nyad is being paced by lifeguards in kayaks who lower beacons into the water that emit an imperceptible electrical field meant to deter the seafaring predators.
Some of the lifeguards, however, stand ready to jump into the water to distract any hungry denizens of the deep: One those guys is the aforementioned Nick, a gorgeous slab of chiseled beefcake we would just weep over if he was gobbled by Jaws.
Nyad’s support team notes the intense pain from Nick’s jellyfish sting was “immediately alleviated and dissipated with a cooling sensation” by the use of a special ointment. (Um, if that ointment is what we think it is, we’re totally not into that. At least not on the first date.)
With Nick recovering (hopefully in the arms of some studly sailor), Nyad is on the verge of accomplishing an amazing feat of human endurance. And considering that the naiads of Greek mythology were water nymphs, could Diana’s surname be any more perfect?
Images: DianaNyad.com.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
Nick, a gorgeous slab of chiseled beefcake we would just weep over if he was gobbled by Jaws.
The only thing worse than getting eaten by Jaws, is getting fingered by Capt. Hook.
Chuck
How could anyone remain lesbian in front of THAT?
TikiHead
‘Nyad’ sounds like naiad, a Greek mythical water nymph.
ChatterBlast Media
Thanks for picking up the story about Diana. As a bonus treat, here’s a video of Matt swimming around! http://www.diananyad.com/blog/matteo-shark