This week we move into our studies on water as a precious natural resource. As I was working on course materials, I found my self distracted (as all of you have experienced yourselves) by the on-line updates about Diana Nyad. Who, you may be asking, is Diana Nyad? Funny you should ask: let me tell you. While the answer has something to do with water, it really has more to do with the human spirit.
Nyad is an athlete. Nyad is a long-distance swimmer. Nyad is a newly anointed Jedi knight. You see, back in the late 60s, Nyad was thrown out of college for jumping out of the fourth floor window of her dormitory. With a parachute. She played some football. Did some swimming. And set out to break some records. She succeeded. Nyad was the first person to swim around the island of Manhatten, which took about 8 hours to complete the 28 miles She fought strong upstream currents on one side of the island which is surrounded by the East and Hudson Rivers on the last leg of their journey back to the Atlantic ocean.
In 1978, I was 24 years old and living in San Francisco when I heard about "some crazy chick who's gonna try to swim from Cuba to Florida". That, needless to say, was Nyad. Swimming in a 20x40 cage to protect her from the sharks that infest the Gulf waters, Nyad battled against fierce currents and winds that pushed her way off course. She swam for over 70 miles, and over 40 hours non-stop before doctors put an end to her being thrown against the bars of the shark cage by the pounding of the ocean waves. The following year, 1979, she swam from Bimini island to Florida without a wet suit, setting a record that is still on the books today. In the years that followed, Nyad continued to swim, authored several books, worked for news organizations and became a motivational speaker. But the dream of doing the seemingly impossible - to swim from shore to shore, from Havana to Key West continued to gnaw at her soul.
The years rolled by, and Nyad continued to get older - as humans do if they have that good fortune. In July 2010, at the age of 60, Nyad continued to push herself in a grueling series of training swims designed to allow her one more shot at achieving her dream. The public was amazed, bemused, and somewhat worried about the sanity of this "old woman athlete" (no longer "a young chick") to do such a crazy thing. When asked why she was doing it, Nyad replied ""Because I'd like to prove to the other 60-year-olds that it is never too late to start your dreams." It wasn't until August 2011, over a year later, that Nyad had the right conditions for her attempt, low winds, slow currents, and most importantly very warm waters. She tried again. After 29 hours in the water, Nyad was stung repeatedly by box jellies and her respiratory system became distressed. Still she swam on - until her medical team said "no more".
These are big, $500,000 operations that are privately funded - Nyad swims with a guide boat, a medical team, her trainers/coach and other support staff to ensure her safe passage in dangerous waters. A staff person in a kayak parallels her swims with shark repellant in an attempt to keep those marine carnivore away from this five foot tall dynamo. Nyad tried again in September, and once again, was foiled by stings from box jellies and Portuguese Man-Of-Wars.(Men-Of-Wars?) In 2012, citing the inspiration of Michael Phelps' multiple wins at the Olympics, Nyad went into training and made a fourth attempt at the 103-mile Cuba to Florida swim. She was 62 years old. This time, she didn't use a shark cage. Unfortunately, the sea jellies continued to sting, and storms resulted in her swimming off course.
CNN carried live coverage of her fourth attempt. There was a lot of publicity, and a lot of media tie-ins which generated revenue for her attempts. This time, the disappointment and let down was palpable. People began to question Nyad's sanity. Folks wondered aloud about her "need" to do this. "She has tried so hard, and accomplished so much - why can't she just let it go?". "Because I'd like to prove to the other 60-year-olds that it is never too late to start your dreams."
On the morning of August 31, two days before I began writing this, Nyad made another attempt - her fifth - to achieve her dream. And this time, she accomplished it. Yes, there were jellies. No, there weren
t any sharks. Nor was there a shark cage. Just a five foot tall, now 64 year old woman athlete in protective mask, bodysuit, and booties to provide protection against those jellies. That, and a whole lot of courage. Nyad swam for 53 hours. Nyad swam 110 miles. Nyad swam from Havana to Key West, FL. Let me put that in some visual perspective (you may want to click on the map):
Words fail me when I think of what this woman has accomplished. I am in awe of her strength, her will, and her athletic prowess. Most of all, I am in awe of her tenacity. Writers and artists have always struggled to portray man's/woman's relationship to the stormy strength and malevolence of sea. Melville wrote the novel of all novels, Moby Dick as a metaphor for man's attempts to lord over the mighty forces of nature. The bible tells of Noah and the "giant fish" (whale). Debussy composed La Mer, portraying the ocean's power with the sonic power of an orchestra's. Turner sought to capture the mystery of the sea in his painted seascapes. And pirates sang sea "shanties" to pass the many hours, and ward off their fears of the demons that lurked below the ocean's surface, surrounding them in the still of the dark night.
Throughout history, adventurers set out to face the great unknown where the sea met the horizon. Columbus sailed into the unknown to discover the "New World". Thousand of immigrants, our ancestors, set sail across thousands of miles of ocean to an unseen horizon with dreams of freedom and liberty, a country where the "streets were paved with gold". Those days of the truly great journeys are over. There are so few things which remain unknown, undiscoverable without the click of a button. And in an age when wealthy tourists scale Everest as a "bucket list" activity, there are few remaining adventures that truly remain "undo-able". Yet Nyad's swim from Cuba to Florida was said to be undo-able. I am old enough to remember the taunts that "that chick" Nyad endured in the 1970s. And yet today, that same woman - at the age of 64, an age when The Beatles suggested "you could knit a sweater by the fireside" - Diana Nyad accomplished the impossible. In so doing she has reminded us all of something very important: It is never too late to start your dreams.
There are times when the news about climate change, habitat destruction, or something else may seem overwhelming or depressing. But keep in mind that one person CAN make a difference. One person CAN achieve the impossible. And one person can capture the world's attention, and change the world. To all of you, my students, I say: Go for it! Dream. Dream big. In your comments reflect on some of your own dreams, for the planet, for your community, or for yourself. (And don't despair if they don't appear right away - I'll be moderating comments to ensure that we don't get spammed!)
I find it incredible and wonderful that Diana Nyad set such a high goal for herself and then achieved it after her 5th attempt. People generally say a persons prime years are around 25 to 35, however, just because your are through those years does not mean that you should just give up. Nyad proved that just because you are no longer young does not mean that you are worthless. I think that is something that our society has lost sight of. We throw the elderly into homes where there are taken care of by strangers. I am sure a lot of incredible stories and knowledge of life was lost because we did not listen to the old people. The elderly are hidden from view and so when I hear someone say, "old people scare me," I am a little offended and I wonder what they will do when they are old and a young person says that. We are all the same species here. Also most of the great musicians out there learned from the old people and that is in part why they are so good because they learned from another persons experience.Anyway this is something I feel very strongly about and that is why I got off topic.
ReplyDeleteI hope to contribute something to the world and also to change it for the better if I can. I want so much to be able to save this planet on which we live. The last generation failed to catch global warming when it would have been better to start something and now things are worse then they may have been if thins had gone differently. I am part of the next generation and I see it as my duty, right, and goal (are those the 3 things Mr. E?) to SAVE THE WORLD! Not really, but it is partially my job, as it is with the rest of the 7 billion and rising people on this one and only planet that supports life, to not let the planet fall into ruin. Part of that is to slow the rapid population growth. Our planet can not sustain let alone house many more people. I do not understand why people do not see that our planet is falling into disrepair and they sit back and do nothing! Let it start with me. If one person says to themselves, "oh everyone else is trying to save the earth, I dont need to. What's one person?" Well that is what a whole lot of people think. Every person makes a difference. There is not a single person who does not make a difference. I plan on making a difference even if that means I have to live in far from home or never really have a home but be a wandering environmental nut. That's ok with me just as long as I leave the earth better than when I came here.
Are those the "three things"? They are, if they work for you as YOUR three things!
DeleteI really enjoyed this article. I’d heard very little about Diana Nyad before this so it wouldn’t be far off for me to say I was blown away by her accomplishment. I’m not gonna lie, swimming like 100 feet tires me out. She swam 110 miles! That’s like swimming to Boston from here. Honestly I think she swam this to prove her point that you’re never too young to chase your dreams, not because she actually wanted to do it.
ReplyDeleteUpon reading this article, it kind of reminded me of all other athletes who seem to defy that age barrier like Steve Nash or Jamie Moyer. This article really puts into perspective how age doesn’t matter, which is a nice thought. However, with future medical advancements in the upcoming decades (assuming we are still around) should allow me to run a sub-6 mile when I’m 60. If medical advancements don’t allow me to do that then I will be disappointed.
Anyways, that kind of gets me hopeful and excited in that it is never too late to make a difference. It’s imperative we as a race start to make changes in our daily lifestyles to accommodate for this climate change and put an end to it once and for all. Obviously starting small is our only option, but the Connecticut River Watershed is a pretty beautiful place (or so I’m told) and by no means is it perfect. I think even raising awareness about the benefits of recycling or growing organic in the Upper Valley would be huge. Even though on the large scale it may not make a difference because the Upper Valley doesn’t even account for 1,000,000, it could jump start a reformation that (who knows?) could save the world.
Thanks Nolan. Perhaps medical advancements WILL allow you to run that sub-6 mile.
DeleteHasn't worked for me though :)
I am in complete awe of this woman. There is no other way to describe it. Perhaps some people will look at this and say "What's so amazing about this? All she did was swim..." but I think this is an astounding achievement. I don't just mean the swimming though (which is still extremely impressive). Nyad spent years training for this and every time she failed it must have been a huge blow. What I find particularly impressive about this story is that she never gave up. People even began to question her sanity, but she stayed strong and believed in herself and I think that's the most powerful thing in the world. You know when you're little and you read/hear stories about great heros who go off and do wonderful deeds... well I think Nyad is a hero. There is nothing more courageous than standing tall and doing what your heart tells you to do. Nyad had/has immense willpower and strength like that is, in my opinion, far more important than anything physical. Swimming 110 miles in shark infested waters is an enormous feat, but I think even if she had failed a fifth time, she would be still something of a hero.
ReplyDeleteI'm in total agreement with you Naomi! All too often kids see celebrities as their heros; music/movie stars whose principle achievement seems to be fame. Nyad IS a hero, and trust heroic
DeleteI think it is absolutely amazing that Diana Nyad accomplished what she accomplished. I know quite a few 55-65 year olds, and I cannot think of one that could accomplish that 110 mile swim (Well, maybe Mr. E...) But I think that many of those 55-65 year olds would still have a better chance than I would.
ReplyDeleteJust a quick tidbit about me: I hate swimming in the ocean. I even hate putting my feet in the little waves that splash the shore. I love watching the waves from a beach, but I have not actually been in the ocean water for about 5 years now. Give me a chlorinated pool any day, I like to keep my swimming sanitary. I was curious to see what may explain this, and looked up “Fear of the Ocean” and I got this: Thalassophobia. Maybe I have it, among my fear of heights and quite a few “creepy crawlies”.
I think that Nyad is one of those true heroins that will end up inspiring many people in the future. Because of her, not only has this record been set, but many other athletes will have the willpower to keep trying no matter what. Many people say that they will keep trying until they reach their goals, but only a select few of them manage to succeed.
This event reminds me of something I read back in about 4th grade, about the first man who climbed Mt. Everest, Edmund Hillary, and how, when asked why he climbed Everest in the first place, he retorted “Because it’s there”. Not many people would take that as motivation to do something that monumental. Then, today in class, Mr. Whitaker was talking about his son hiking the Appalachian Trail. He said something like “To climb the Appalachian Trail, you need to have a real reason for why you are hiking. Not just because you like hiking. That won’t work.” I wonder if “Because it’s there” would fall into the “real reason” column.
This whole “Motivation and achieving your dreams” thing has got me thinking about why I want to do the things that I want to do, and I realized I have no clue. I don’t know why I take as many science and math courses as I possibly can. I mean, I am good at both subjects, and I want to be a college professor, but I do not know why I don't divide my course load evenly like most people do. I take all the required core-courses, but when other students say to me “Hey, Nic, why didn’t you take Musical, or Fall Play? You love acting!” I say “Because I’m not dropping Advanced Bio or Statistics. Period.”
Even though I enjoy acting a little more than science and math (sorry), I still take as many Sci/Math classes that I can fit into my schedule (still allow me to graduate without missing credits). Maybe because I know that when I am older, having science and math classes in my record may be more beneficial than having a lot of acting classes. But I still act after school in my community, so I balance it out. Besides, I kind of like having homework. It gives me a weird feeling, almost a sense of purpose.
In conclusion, many people have “reasons” for achieving their dreams, but maybe not all of those “reasons” are real reasons. Maybe that is why we give up when the times turn tough, because we do not have the drive that Nyad had. The world should have more people like her. More things would get accomplished.
--Nic B
Hehe... My name is not Charles, I promise. It used my personal Gmail when I posted this...
DeleteWow - thanks Nic - so much to respond to here! So - you have a fear of the sea, Thalaasa being the Greek root. (Thalassemia, which presumably you do not have, is a disease affecting the blood of some people of Mediterranean descent.)
DeleteAs for the acting vs science - kudos for your decision, but I empathize! That was the conflict of my high school years as well! I returned to theater in adulthood many years later. (That's the thing - life is a journey -)
Knowing Mr W's son, I'd say that "because it's there and it's just something I want to do" probably served as his primary motivation as well. " That's a good thing.
Finally - thanks for your faith in my swimming abilities, but you're off by several significant digits!
Reading this post and watching this video actually made me feel like I need to be working towards something like that. I guess part of that will be college, but I think our generation thinks so much about now and never really dreams for the future. I guess with Facebook and Twitter, you don't have to dream ahead, you can just read everybody elses thoughts. I feel like we don't think for ourselves anymore. We are too afraid to fail. I hope Nyad's messages can reach young people as well as old. Something I took away from her perseverance is that she had a dream when she was young and just took a long time to reach it.
ReplyDeleteOne dream I have is to change the world. Not everyone in the world needs to know about it, but I want to leave this place better than I found it. I want to be able to tell my grandchildren that I did something to brighten their future. I guess I would want to help get other people involved: get them motivated about their environment. I think that starts with kids. Getting the 'youngsters' to do some of the dirty work, so they can really appreciate where they live, especially in VT. All the time, older people from out of our region comment on how lucky we are. Should we take that for granted? NO! I think we should try to preserve even our little corner for the next generations. Sometimes 'a small group of committed citizens' will do the trick. It is sort of amusing how Mr. Bugg's life lessons can end up in so many discussions. :)
You and your generation have good reason to be focussed on the "now" - in fact, your brains are wired to continued with that focus for another 10 years or so. That said, part of maturing is gaining the awareness that the future is out there, and does need to be planned for.
DeleteI guess that the subtext of what I wrote about myself was the subtext of what I found particularly moving about Nyad's accomplishment. Her triumph at this stage of her life became a sort of mirror for my own self examination of where I was, where I am, and what my own goals are. And those include getting all of you to think about these issues a bit at your relatively young ages! So thank you for for providing me with a small sense of accomplishment in achieving that!
Diana Nyad's journey is both an inspiring one and one which is motivating. As well as phenomenal in the fact that her accomplishments are something she needed to want to happen to make it possible. Also setting "new" goals for athletes.
ReplyDeleteI am completely in awe of this woman. Despite people continuously telling her that she was too old, or that her goal was too crazy she persevered and didn't let their words stop her. She continued to strive for what she believed was possible and in the end achieved her dream. I never want my age to stop me from what I want to do in life. When I hear adults say “I’m too old to start that now” it makes me upset. You aren’t too old! There are so many examples of people who decide in their forties to go back to school, or others who switch their professions, or even doing something slightly intimidating like climbing the appalachian trail. Taking chances allows us to grow. My only hope is that I never get into the mindset that “it is too late for me”. If I can complete something and reach a goal that is a fraction of what Diana Nyad did then I would be happy.
ReplyDeleteOne of my goals is to get a good education and eventually get a job that will help move the world in the right direction again. As the world becomes more aware of global warming more jobs open up that focus on improving the environment. My hope is that people see these job opportunities, whether it is working with solar energy, or wind power, and decide to invest themselves in these job whose focus is world improvement. Last year I attended the Governors Institute of Vermont and was blown away by how many opportunities there were in the workforce for people interested in environmental studies. If I could be a part of a project that made even the slightest impact I would feel that I would have accomplished my goal.
I had heard of Diana Nyad before but I had no idea, until Mr. Bugg announced it in assembly, that she had completed a swim from Cuba to Florida. I am shocked and amazed at that accomplishment both because of the shear length of the swim and the astounding amount of time that she spent in the water (after all, I can’t do anything for 58 hours straight). But perhaps more inspiring to me is the fact that she tried again, and again and never gave up after each failed attempt. Her tale serves as an inspiration not just for defying the odds but for what we can accomplish if we puts our minds to it. If one woman armed only with her tenacity, determination, and thousands of supporting and loving fans (and a dedicated support staff) can swim from Cuba to Florida imagine what we can accomplish armed with modern technology and an army of young people ready to change the world. I personally would like to be one of those young people ready to change the world whether it be through science or just doing my best on a day to day basis to minimize my waste and energy usage.
ReplyDeleteDiana Nyad’s story of fortitude and determination parallels what it will take to clean up the earth and overcome the many problems that await the human race in the future. Diana had to overcome many hurdles and roadblocks on the road to success and so too will the human race. I would like to see a future world in which island communities and nations don’t have to worry about how many years it will be until their homes and livelihoods are destroyed. Or where people don’t have to worry about their source of water drying up. Or, perhaps most importantly, a world in which we realize that, for the good of our own existence, we must set aside our differences and come together to make a change not just in the way we treat the earth but in the way we treat each other. None of these things will be particularly easy to accomplish and they may take more time and effort than we now realize but the task of swimming from Cuba to Florida was just as daunting at one point and now it has been accomplished.
- Ian Mundy
My mother always says “I don’t know what I want to be when I’m older.” I think this is an amazing thought. It looks like Diana shares my mothers view on life. This is such an amazing message to the world. Everyday the news is bombarded with story after story of rape, murder or environmental destruction. This is such a heart-warming break from this stream of horrible stories.
ReplyDeleteI also love the last thing she said in the CBS video as she almost fainted. She said that it might look like an individual sport but it’s a team effort. I think this is such a nice segway to the world. One person can change the world, if even in a small way. Rachel Carson seemed to have changed the world by bringing attention to the human effect on the planet. I think that everyone can change the world slightly but if we all work together we can drastically change the world.
My mother always says “I don’t know what I want to be when I’m older.” I think this is an amazing thought. It looks like Diana shares my mothers view on life. This is such an amazing message to the world. Everyday the news is bombarded with story after story of rape, murder or environmental destruction. This is such a heart-warming break from this stream of horrible stories.
ReplyDeleteI also love the last thing she said in the CBS video as she almost fainted. She said that it might look like an individual sport but it’s a team effort. I think this is such a nice segway to the world. One person can change the world, if even in a small way. Rachel Carson seemed to have changed the world by bringing attention to the human effect on the planet. I think that everyone can change the world slightly but if we all work together we can drastically change the world.
I had heard of Diana Nyad before but I had no idea, until Mr. Bugg announced it in assembly, that she had completed a swim from Cuba to Florida. I am shocked and amazed at that accomplishment both because of the shear length of the swim and the astounding amount of time that she spent in the water (after all, I can’t do anything for 58 hours straight). But perhaps more inspiring to me is the fact that she tried again, and again and never gave up after each failed attempt. Her tale serves as an inspiration not just for defying the odds but for what we can accomplish if we puts our minds to it. If one woman armed only with her tenacity, determination, and thousands of supporting and loving fans (and a dedicated support staff) can swim from Cuba to Florida imagine what we can accomplish armed with modern technology and an army of young people ready to change the world. I personally would like to be one of those young people ready to change the world whether it be through science or just doing my best on a day to day basis to minimize my waste and energy usage.
ReplyDeleteDiana Nyad’s story of fortitude and determination parallels what it will take to clean up the earth and overcome the many problems that await the human race in the future. Diana had to overcome many hurdles and roadblocks on the road to success and so too will the human race. I would like to see a future world in which island communities and nations don’t have to worry about how many years it will be until their homes and livelihoods are destroyed. Or where people don’t have to worry about their source of water drying up. Or, perhaps most importantly, a world in which we realize that, for the good of our own existence, we must set aside our differences and come together to make a change not just in the way we treat the earth but in the way we treat each other. None of these things will be particularly easy to accomplish and they may take more time and effort than we now realize but the task of swimming from Cuba to Florida was just as daunting at one point and now it has been accomplished.
- Ian Mundy
I cannot fathom completing a journey of this magnitude. To be able to do this would be next to impossible for a young person who is in their "prime" so for her to accomplish this at her age makes it all the more incredible. You can see in the video that, by the end, she had pushed herself beyond the point of exhaustion. She didn't look like she could have gone another 100 feet, but, the important part is that she never gave up, very inspiring.
ReplyDeleteIt is people like Diana who we need to speak out, speak up, and never give up if we as a species are going to successfully meet the challenges that await us down the road. Most of these challenges are not going to occur 1,000 years from now or even 100. This makes it especially important that we begin to make change now. My goals are to continue my education because that is an opportunity I have and it would be a shame to waste it. My education will help me to make a difference in the world, which is my ultimate goal. I dont know if it will come in the form of helping the environment or not but I believe that everyone can make a difference if they never give up just like Diana, and I hope to do that someday.
Yesterday in gym I ran a mile. As many others can atest, doing this sucks. It becomes a truly incomprehensible feat when swimming, which takes far longer and expends more energy than running. And doing 110 miles. And being 64. And to make matters worse, if you stop, you drown! Also when running a mile I don't have to avoid hypothermia, swallowing saline and stepping on poisonous jellyfish. And there are no sharks on the soccer field. *Applauds*
ReplyDeleteMy own dreams are much less insane. They have not all become clear to me yet, and any number of factors could yet change them in the future. I will always hope to share the feelings I get from music with as many as possible, and will pursue it endlessly, that much I know for certain. My own dreams that involve any infinite possible outcomes of my future will only be made clear to me when I do something like go to college and see what I can do in the world to improve it.
That is an amazing feat for someone of her age to pull off. Not only did she repeatedly attempt it and not break at the past failures, but eventually managed to overcome all those obstacles and swim that distance which would be something people younger than her couldn't pull off. I know that I couldn't do that, but it's not only the athletic prowess that is inspirational. It's the message that any one person can spark the interest of the entire world with just enough work. Any one can make a difference, and with the environmental issues of today that's something we need to do. If anyone can make a difference, we only need to speak out and let the world know of what is happening. There are massive problems, and if all we did as a species was stay quiet and let it happen then the world would fall into environmental chaos. Many things have been solved in the world by single people calling them out and inspiring others to join the fight. DDT, while not removed totally, has been banned from the U.S. due to one woman courageous enough to publish a book about it. One man was the driving force behind eliminating segregation throughout our country, and there are a thousand other instances where a single person or small group of people have changed the world as we know it, and all it took was the will, power, and strength of those people to do that. It inspires me greatly to know that one person can make a difference, and I hope one day that we can help change the world.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this women, but I am sure glad that I know of her now. I cannot even imagine the patience, persistence, and physical and mental strength that it would have taken to swim across the ocean. This isn't a pond that you normally swim across, this is the ocean with it's hurling, foaming waves and thousands of species of predators. I, myself, would be terrified. The fact that she is in her sixties is just so inspiring. If anyone had any doubts about not having the will to pursue their goals or the elderly; Diana blew them out of the water.
ReplyDelete