Diana Nyad Upholds Legitimacy of Cuba-to-Florida Swim: “We Are Ethical, Honorable People”

LOS ANGELES, California, September 11. DIANA Nyad spoke with members of the open water community and a few media members on Tuesday to address reports that are discrediting her 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida.

Skeptics are pointing to a seven-hour stretch of the swim in which Nyad appeared to swim faster than normal. Oceanographers and other marine experts said a strong current in that stretch of the sea helped Nyad along, while those doubters claimed no current could have carried her as far as it did for that long of a period of time. They believed Nyad held onto a boat that pulled her along, which goes against all rules and ethics of open water swimming.

“We are ethical, honorable people,” Nyad said in an interview with Los Angeles TV station KABC. “We never ever touched a boat, got out on a boat, had any floatation of somebody holding me up. I was in the open ocean, and I swam all the way from the rocks of Cuba to the sands of Florida.”

Video interview with Nyad on KABC:

Nyad also appeared on “The Ellen Show” to inspire not only open water swimmers but those faced with major obstacles in life:

Here’s a look back at Swimming World’s coverage of Nyad’s previous attempts:

October 2010: Nyad cancels planned swim

August 2011: Current throws Nyad off course, ending swim

September 2011: Jellyfish stings end attempt number three

August 2012: Attempt No. 4 is halted by weather and jellyfish

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