November SW Magazine Six Things We Learned From Diana Nyad

PHOENIX, Arizona, November 5. THE November Swimming World Magazine is now available for download for Total Access Subscribers!

Marathon swimmer — and now prime time TV headliner — Diana Nyad graces the cover of the November issue of Swimming World Magazine. Swimming World had a one-on-one interview with Nyad after she successfully completed a 110-mile marathon swim from Cuba to Florida. Exiting the water onto Key West’s beach marked, for Nyad, the completion of a dream 30 years in the making.

Read November’s Voice for the Sport below, written by CEO and Publisher Brent Rutemiller, titled Six Things We Learned From Diana Nyad:

A Voice for the Sport
Six Things We Learned from Diana Nyad
BY BRENT T. RUTEMILLER

I did not expect to get emotional while watching the live television coverage of Diana Nyad completing her swim from Cuba to Florida. The emotion that I was experiencing was a combination of respect, inspiration, passion and human triumph. I must admit that I am easily inspired when athletic achievements touch my soul. Diana Nyad’s lifelong quest should inspire us all.

There are six things we all should learn from Diana Nyad’s feat:

* Set high goals. We all should set high goals. When I think of setting goals, I am reminded of the poet, Robert Browning, who once wrote, “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp–or what’s a heaven for?” To me, it means that we should reach for more than we can see, grasp or touch. If you are going to set a goal, set it high. Nyad set a goal that no human had ever achieved.

* Follow your heart. If you don’t feel it, it will never happen. When you feel something in every fiber of your body, you must act on it. Inside this month’s issue of Swimming World, Nyad is quoted as saying, “When I turned 60, my mom had just died, (and I) experienced a deep reckoning. (I began) to wonder if I was the person I wanted to be,” said Nyad. “I wanted to find something that challenged me, that made me reach my deepest potential. It wasn’t a matter of, ‘Do I want to break (the endurance swimming) world record?’ Cuba was at the peak of my imagination–the swim that really touched my soul.” Nyad taught us to look deeper into ourselves and listen to our hearts and souls.

* Be self-motivated. Motivation is the underlying cause for all result. Self-motivation is the strongest of forms. If you are not self-motivated, chances are slim that you will ever achieve your goal. Nobody had to motivate Nyad. Nyad taught us that self-motivation is the primary source for all accomplishments.

* Inspire others around you. People want to be associated with those who set high standards and high goals. When they see someone moving toward accomplishing a high goal, it inspires everyone around them to be a part of that goal. Nyad’s never-give-up attitude inspired those around her. Eventually those same people became her biggest supporters and eventually her team. Nyad led by her actions, and as a result, she inspired others around her.

* Acknowledge those who support you. One of the first things that Nyad did when she set foot on the Florida beach was to acknowledge those who supported her in her 53-hour journey traversing 110 miles. Instead of soaking up all the limelight, she acknowledged and thanked her support crew repeatedly. She voiced appreciation and gratitude that made her team feel more like a family than volunteers. Even though Nyad swam alone, she showed us that accomplishments are never really a solo effort.

* Never give up. Watching Nyad swim the last 100 meters to shore was surreal. There was no grand finish line. People from all walks of life came to the beach that morning for a relaxing Labor Day holiday. Most had no idea that they were about to witness history. When word spread that Nyad was approaching the shore, people flocked to the beach. Many waded out into the surf, creating a human channel for her to swim through. Everyone cheered her to the finish. It took Nyad, age 64, a lifetime to achieve her goal, and with that, she taught us the greatest lesson of all: never give up!

BRENT T. RUTEMILLER
Publisher, CEO

Not a Total Access Subscriber? A Swimming World Magazine. Subscription gives you unlimited access to all online content on SwimmingWorld.com and access to all of the back issues of Swimming World Magazine dating back to 1960! Purchase your Total Access Subscription TODAY!

Curious about what you’ll find inside the November issue of Swimming World Magazine? Watch this month’s Inside Swimming World video to find out!

ON THE COVER: It took American Diana Nyad a lifetime to achieve her dream of swimming from Cuba to Florida without the use of a shark cage. Her first attempt came 35 years ago in 1978, and on her fifth try–at the age of 64–she reached her goal, teaching us all a very valuable lesson: never give up! [PHOTO BY DAWN L. BLOMGREN]


FEATURES: 



9 Top 5 Open Water Moments of 2013 by Jeff Commings



12 May the Currents Be with You by Shoshanna Rutemiller

Poland’s Mateusz Sawrymowicz and the USA’s Ashley Twichell navigated the most favorable routes across the San Francisco Bay to win their respective men’s and women’s divisions of the 14th Annual RCP Tiburon Mile, with each earning $10,000.

16 Persistence Leads to Success by Shoshanna Rutemiller

American Diana Nyad, 64, became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida, accomplishing the feat without the help of a shark cage. On Sept. 2, she walked wobbly-legged onto the beach of Key West, Fla. after swimming for 53 consecutive hours from Havana, Cuba–a distance of approximately 110 miles.

20 2013 Open Water Swimmers of the Year by Steven Munatones
Brazil’s Poliana Okimoto and Germany’s Thomas Lurz turned in stellar performances at the 2013 World Championships and were named Swimming World Magazine’s Open Water Swimmers of the Year. 



28 Lessons with the Legends: Randy Reese by Michael J. Stott 



30 The Healing Power of Swimming by Shoshanna Rutemiller 

Taylor Hunt was involved in a hit-and-run accident five years ago when she was 13, and her father strongly believes that swimming not only strengthened his daughter, but the entire family. 



33 Dryside Training: Strength for Speed by J.R. Rosania 



34 AthleticFoodie/Let’s Live a Healthier Life: Staying Healthy During the Holidays by Garrett Weber-Gale 



36 Ask Dr. Shannon: Hamstring Stretches by Shannon McBride 



37 Q&A with Coach Allison Beebe by Michael J. Stott 



38 How They Train Simone Manuel by Michael J. Stott 



40 Paddles: Why They Work by Michael J. Stott 

Paddles are an important training aid that can help swimmers reinforce proper technique and build strength. 



DEPARTMENTS:



6 A Voice for the Sport 


23 Holiday Gift Guide 


42 Up & Comers 


44 Gutter Talk 


46 Parting Shot

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