Post #380,091
8/31/13 6:36:21 PM
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I hope she makes it this time - she's amazing.
http://www.rawstory....-cuba-to-florida/
U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad set off from Cuba Saturday in her fifth and final bid to become the first person to reach Florida without the protection of a shark cage.
ÂThanks, my Cuban friends, the 64-year-old said in Spanish before she jumped into the water at the Hemingway International Yacht Club west of Havana at 1400 GMT.
Nyad, who donned a black and blue bathing suit, goggles and a swim cap, hopes to make the 170 kilometer (106 mile) trek in 80 hours.
She said earlier this would be the Âlast time she would attempt to make her decades-old dream come true.
Last August, Nyad broke off her fourth bid to cross the stretch after battling lightning storms and swarms of jellyfish for more than two days.
Her first attempt was in 1978, when she was 28.
[...]
As others have noted, given her name it's natural that she would be such a great swimmer. ;-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Nyad
Cheers,
Scott.
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Post #380,146
9/2/13 1:16:04 PM
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She's less than 2 miles from Key West.
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Post #380,153
9/2/13 3:10:37 PM
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And she's landed
Live stream I was watching had technical difficulties, lost their on-beach camera when she was less than 200 m offshore. Switched to a roof cam with a long lens. 10 m from shore she went behind a Palm tree. Grrr ...
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Drew
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Post #380,155
9/2/13 4:07:25 PM
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Re: she went behind a Palm tree
to take off her body suit, gloves, booties, cap and face mask. :)
Not that that would diminish her accomplishment. Most of that gear increased the drag and made it tougher.
Alex
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Post #380,164
9/2/13 8:02:38 PM
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Not sure ratio of snark / serious
What I meant was there was a Palm tree between the camera and the piece of beach where she landed. So I still haven't seen her actually come out of the water.
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Drew
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Post #380,166
9/2/13 8:53:43 PM
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YouTube
https://www.youtube....tch?v=2x-UUExCIl4 (SFW).
(I think she only wore the full body suit, mask, etc., at night when the jellyfish usually rise from the depths.)
Cheers,
Scott.
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Post #380,187
9/3/13 8:53:26 AM
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Wow, YouTube is 404-ing
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Drew
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Post #380,189
9/3/13 9:37:52 AM
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It was a network clip. Probably taken down.
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Post #380,191
9/3/13 10:16:04 AM
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Thanks, that's a good one
She's a bit unsteady, but I love how she stayed upright until she was on dry land.
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Drew
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Post #380,192
9/3/13 10:18:07 AM
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I'd be unsteady just trying to *stay awake* for 50+ hours...
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Post #380,168
9/2/13 9:22:23 PM
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Re: Not sure ratio of snark / serious
Well she did wear all that gear at least some of the time. Taking it all off behind behind the tree was my creation as evidenced by the smiley.
Alex
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Post #380,214
9/3/13 6:47:37 PM
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Interview
http://www.youtube.c...tch?v=MJoWp_dQrn0
Good lord, it was worse than I imagined.
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Drew
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Post #380,223
9/3/13 8:07:14 PM
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Zooks! Thanks.
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Post #380,238
9/4/13 10:46:25 AM
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I have a new hero. What a remarkable person.
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