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Find a Way
On September 2, 2013, at the age of sixty-four, Diana Nyad emerged onto the sands of Key West after swimming 111 miles, nation to nation, Cuba to Florida, in an epic feat of both endurance and human will, in fifty-three hours. Diana carried three poignant messages on her way across this stretch of shark-infested waters, and she spoke them to the crowd in her moment of final triumph:
1. Never, ever give up.
2. You’re never too old to chase your dreams.
3. It looks like a solitary sport, but it’s a Team.
Millions of people around the world cheered this maverick on, moved by her undeniable tenacity to be the first to make the historic crossing without the aid of a shark cage. At the end of her magnificent journey, after thirty-five years and four crushing failures, the public found hope in Diana’s perseverance. They were inspired by her mantra—find a way—that led her to realize a dream in her sixties that had eluded her as a young champion in peak form.
In Find a Way, Diana engages us with a unique, passionate story of this heroic adventure and the extraordinary life experiences that have served to carve her unwavering spirit.
Diana was a world champion in her twenties, setting the record for swimming around Manhattan Island, along with other ocean-swim achievements, all of which rendered her a star at the time. Back then, she made the first attempt at the Mount Everest of swims, the Cuba Swim, but after forty-two hours and seventy-nine miles she was blown desperately off course. Her dream unfulfilled, she didn’t swim another stroke for three decades.
Why, at sixty-four, was she able to achieve what she could not at thirty? How did her dramatic failures push her to success? What inner resources did Diana draw on during her long days and nights of training, and how did the power of the human spirit trump both the limitations of the body and the forces of nature across this vast, dangerous wilderness? This is the gripping story of an athlete, of a hero, of a bold mind. This is a galvanizing meditation on facing fears, engaging in our lives full throttle, and living each day with no regrets.
From the Hardcover edition.
1. Never, ever give up.
2. You’re never too old to chase your dreams.
3. It looks like a solitary sport, but it’s a Team.
Millions of people around the world cheered this maverick on, moved by her undeniable tenacity to be the first to make the historic crossing without the aid of a shark cage. At the end of her magnificent journey, after thirty-five years and four crushing failures, the public found hope in Diana’s perseverance. They were inspired by her mantra—find a way—that led her to realize a dream in her sixties that had eluded her as a young champion in peak form.
In Find a Way, Diana engages us with a unique, passionate story of this heroic adventure and the extraordinary life experiences that have served to carve her unwavering spirit.
Diana was a world champion in her twenties, setting the record for swimming around Manhattan Island, along with other ocean-swim achievements, all of which rendered her a star at the time. Back then, she made the first attempt at the Mount Everest of swims, the Cuba Swim, but after forty-two hours and seventy-nine miles she was blown desperately off course. Her dream unfulfilled, she didn’t swim another stroke for three decades.
Why, at sixty-four, was she able to achieve what she could not at thirty? How did her dramatic failures push her to success? What inner resources did Diana draw on during her long days and nights of training, and how did the power of the human spirit trump both the limitations of the body and the forces of nature across this vast, dangerous wilderness? This is the gripping story of an athlete, of a hero, of a bold mind. This is a galvanizing meditation on facing fears, engaging in our lives full throttle, and living each day with no regrets.
From the Hardcover edition.
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First published October 20, 2015
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About the author
Diana Nyad
12books76followersFor her maverick open-water performance of the 1970s, Diana Nyad was known as the world’s greatest long-distance swimmer. For the next thirty years, Nyad was a prominent sports broadcaster and journalist, filing compelling stories for National Public Radio, ABC’s Wide World of Sports, and others. She is a national fitness icon, has written three other books, is a talented linguist, and is one of today’s most powerful and engaging public speakers.
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December 26, 2015
Diana Nyad is one tough woman. She is the person who swam from Cuba to Florida when she was 64. That's right, 64. It was her fifth attempt.
When Nyad was 26, she swam around the island of Manhattan, setting a world speed record. She also set a distance record for swimming from the Bahamas to Florida. And I hear she's good at playing squash.
This memoir covers Nyad's life from childhood to her 60s, but it jumps around and meanders quite a bit, almost as if her thoughts were being swayed by ocean waves. I admit I knew little about Nyad before I read this. I vaguely recall news stories in 2013 about her successful Cuba swim, but that was my only frame of reference.
For example, I didn't know that she had a long career in sports broadcasting. Or that she had been trying to complete the Cuba swim since 1978.
I also did not know that Nyad suffered extensive sexual abuse when she was a child, both from her stepfather and her swimming coach, who reportedly also abused many other young women. (Nyad doesn't name the guy, but a quick Google search ferreted him out.) At this point I need to pause and issue a warning to readers who are sensitive about graphic details of molestation and abuse. Nyad experienced truly horrible things, and there are some vivid descriptions given in this book.
But Nyad is so strong and resilient that she overcame the ordeal and has spoken publicly about the problems of sex abuse in sports. She doesn't like it when people imply she's a champion athlete because of her childhood abuse.
Another surprising story is that when Nyad was in college, she learned that the man she thought was her father, Aristotle "Aris" Nyad, was actually her stepfather, and that her birth father's last name was Sneed.
My favorite parts of this book were the descriptions of the various Cuba swims. Each one had its own challenges and trials. Aside from the navigation of the Gulf Stream, which was tricky enough on its own, Nyad also had to risk sharks and swarms of jellyfish. She was repeatedly stung and nearly died. Each attempt at the supposedly impossible swim was an amazing, death-defying adventure, and only a true champion like Nyad would have kept trying for so many years.
I mentioned earlier that this book meanders a bit. Nay's writing often relies on cliches, which is not surprising for someone trained in sports broadcasting, but she still tells good stories. I listened to this on audio, and it was interesting to hear how she would mentally train for the long-distance swims, often by singing favorite songs to match the pace of her stroke. She rarely complained about the challenges, and gave generous praise to everyone who has helped her. She's an incredible role model.
For the most part I enjoyed this book and just let myself be carried along by her currents. Recommended to those who like stories of athletes and outdoor adventures.
Favorite Quotes
"I have elevated this swim onto a pedestal far beyond an endurance record. In some ways, Cuba isn't even a sporting event to me anymore. It's a life quest. It's a symbol of how I want to live my life, believing you can touch magic if the Dream is worthy enough, if you're willing to sacrifice enough for it."
"It's the tough stuff of life, profound disappointment. When we summon the guts to put ourselves out there, to reach for the highest star, when we march unafraid into dangerous territory, unwavering in our preparation, brimming with hope that we will succeed, the letdown, when it all comes crashing down in defeat, is colossal. They say we shouldn't contemplate the deeper issues of our lives when sick or exhausted. But my despair is at too wretched a level on that dock to mine down to common sense. The Dream lived somewhere in my imagination for thirty years, from the first spark of magic to it when I was in my twenties."
"I'm not sure where perseverance comes from. Do we inherit a will to push on? Do we survive a childhood ordeal that makes us gritty? When you hear the stories of most leaders and people who have attained high levels of success, meaning also non famous people who have triumphed over hellish circumstances, they can speak of natural talents, and experience, and good fortune, and timing, and mentors. But they collectively agree the critical denominator to any individual's succeeding is perseverance."
Companion Read
Another good book about a long-distance swimmer is Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox. I highly recommend Cox's book.
When Nyad was 26, she swam around the island of Manhattan, setting a world speed record. She also set a distance record for swimming from the Bahamas to Florida. And I hear she's good at playing squash.
This memoir covers Nyad's life from childhood to her 60s, but it jumps around and meanders quite a bit, almost as if her thoughts were being swayed by ocean waves. I admit I knew little about Nyad before I read this. I vaguely recall news stories in 2013 about her successful Cuba swim, but that was my only frame of reference.
For example, I didn't know that she had a long career in sports broadcasting. Or that she had been trying to complete the Cuba swim since 1978.
I also did not know that Nyad suffered extensive sexual abuse when she was a child, both from her stepfather and her swimming coach, who reportedly also abused many other young women. (Nyad doesn't name the guy, but a quick Google search ferreted him out.) At this point I need to pause and issue a warning to readers who are sensitive about graphic details of molestation and abuse. Nyad experienced truly horrible things, and there are some vivid descriptions given in this book.
But Nyad is so strong and resilient that she overcame the ordeal and has spoken publicly about the problems of sex abuse in sports. She doesn't like it when people imply she's a champion athlete because of her childhood abuse.
I've been asked this all my life. Was it the trauma of my younger days that drove me? I will not give credit to molesters, as if to say they in the end help us become more powerful individuals. I am confident I was this fierce person long before those events. At two, three, four, I believe I heard some version of "Reveille" in my spirit, at the crack of dawn, and went to bed exhausted at the end of each day, having put out so much that there wasn't a fingernail more to give.
Another surprising story is that when Nyad was in college, she learned that the man she thought was her father, Aristotle "Aris" Nyad, was actually her stepfather, and that her birth father's last name was Sneed.
I was born Diana Winslow Sneed. What? Can you imagine? Aris may have been a rogue, a liar, and a deviant. But at the very least I got from him the very cool name Nyad. (Today I'm listed in all those books where people live out the meaning of their names, a phenomenon referred to by the term "aptonym.")
Nyad � naiad, nymph of the sea, girl or woman champion swimmer � may not have been my birth name after all, but it had been my name all my life. And it was the perfect name.
My favorite parts of this book were the descriptions of the various Cuba swims. Each one had its own challenges and trials. Aside from the navigation of the Gulf Stream, which was tricky enough on its own, Nyad also had to risk sharks and swarms of jellyfish. She was repeatedly stung and nearly died. Each attempt at the supposedly impossible swim was an amazing, death-defying adventure, and only a true champion like Nyad would have kept trying for so many years.
I mentioned earlier that this book meanders a bit. Nay's writing often relies on cliches, which is not surprising for someone trained in sports broadcasting, but she still tells good stories. I listened to this on audio, and it was interesting to hear how she would mentally train for the long-distance swims, often by singing favorite songs to match the pace of her stroke. She rarely complained about the challenges, and gave generous praise to everyone who has helped her. She's an incredible role model.
For the most part I enjoyed this book and just let myself be carried along by her currents. Recommended to those who like stories of athletes and outdoor adventures.
Favorite Quotes
"I have elevated this swim onto a pedestal far beyond an endurance record. In some ways, Cuba isn't even a sporting event to me anymore. It's a life quest. It's a symbol of how I want to live my life, believing you can touch magic if the Dream is worthy enough, if you're willing to sacrifice enough for it."
"It's the tough stuff of life, profound disappointment. When we summon the guts to put ourselves out there, to reach for the highest star, when we march unafraid into dangerous territory, unwavering in our preparation, brimming with hope that we will succeed, the letdown, when it all comes crashing down in defeat, is colossal. They say we shouldn't contemplate the deeper issues of our lives when sick or exhausted. But my despair is at too wretched a level on that dock to mine down to common sense. The Dream lived somewhere in my imagination for thirty years, from the first spark of magic to it when I was in my twenties."
"I'm not sure where perseverance comes from. Do we inherit a will to push on? Do we survive a childhood ordeal that makes us gritty? When you hear the stories of most leaders and people who have attained high levels of success, meaning also non famous people who have triumphed over hellish circumstances, they can speak of natural talents, and experience, and good fortune, and timing, and mentors. But they collectively agree the critical denominator to any individual's succeeding is perseverance."
Companion Read
Another good book about a long-distance swimmer is Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox. I highly recommend Cox's book.
November 25, 2021
is my nomination for patron saint for those over age sixty who are searching for new challenges. Those striving for persistence and endurance can also find solace in her story as well.
She first tried to swim from Cuba to the United States in 1978 at age twenty-eight and failed. Then she went on to her midlife career consisting of broadcast journalism and motivational speaker. As she approached her retirement years she decided to try that swim again at age sixty. Again she failed, but she began to learn some things needed for the crossing and kept trying. In all she made five attempts finally succeeding in 2013.
This book is her memoir in which she skillfully interweaves personal aspects of her life together with her endeavors at endurance swimming. Some of intimate details she shares with readers includes accounts of sexual abuse, first from her stepfather and later a swimming coach. In her coverage of her adult life she has chapters addressing her lesbianism and atheism. Her accounts of her swimming the Florida straight are rendered so skillfully that some readers find themselves gasping for breath and grimacing in an effort to help Diana persevere during her crossing attempts. Below is a map that records the routes of those efforts.
DIANA NYAD'S CROSSING ATTEMPTS—CUBA TO USA
Jellyfish, sharks, weather, lightening, and rough seas all play roles in determining if a crossing attempt is successful. But the above map also raises the obvious question, "Why is it so hard to swim in a straight line?" This is a result of the unpredictability of the Gulf Stream Current. Its predominate flow is from west to east in the Florida Straight, but eddies and changing current directions form where flow can actually cause a swimmer trying to swim north to actually go south. One of the reasons the 2013 crossing was successful is because of favorable currents. In the latter part of the 2013 crossing Diana was ordered to swim toward her left side in order to make desired landfall. She was so delirious from sleep deprivation and muscle exhaustion that the support crew had a hard time making her swim toward the left.
Endurance swimming is a team sport in many ways. In the case of crossing from Cuba to USA getting needed governmental permissions is a significant obstacle. Then there's the virtual flotilla of boats which involved a crew totaling forty-four individuals that provided navigation, coaching, continual kayak escort, shark protection swimmers, shark repellant equipment, and most important, protection procedures from box jellyfish.
Anyone who reads this book will come away with a sober appreciation of the dangers posed by the . As a matter a fact Diana came close to death from her encounter with them during here second 2011 try. Development of techniques to protect her from them was a major problem that needed to be solved in order to achieve a successful crossing.
Link to TED talks by Diana Nyad:
She first tried to swim from Cuba to the United States in 1978 at age twenty-eight and failed. Then she went on to her midlife career consisting of broadcast journalism and motivational speaker. As she approached her retirement years she decided to try that swim again at age sixty. Again she failed, but she began to learn some things needed for the crossing and kept trying. In all she made five attempts finally succeeding in 2013.
This book is her memoir in which she skillfully interweaves personal aspects of her life together with her endeavors at endurance swimming. Some of intimate details she shares with readers includes accounts of sexual abuse, first from her stepfather and later a swimming coach. In her coverage of her adult life she has chapters addressing her lesbianism and atheism. Her accounts of her swimming the Florida straight are rendered so skillfully that some readers find themselves gasping for breath and grimacing in an effort to help Diana persevere during her crossing attempts. Below is a map that records the routes of those efforts.
DIANA NYAD'S CROSSING ATTEMPTS—CUBA TO USAJellyfish, sharks, weather, lightening, and rough seas all play roles in determining if a crossing attempt is successful. But the above map also raises the obvious question, "Why is it so hard to swim in a straight line?" This is a result of the unpredictability of the Gulf Stream Current. Its predominate flow is from west to east in the Florida Straight, but eddies and changing current directions form where flow can actually cause a swimmer trying to swim north to actually go south. One of the reasons the 2013 crossing was successful is because of favorable currents. In the latter part of the 2013 crossing Diana was ordered to swim toward her left side in order to make desired landfall. She was so delirious from sleep deprivation and muscle exhaustion that the support crew had a hard time making her swim toward the left.
Endurance swimming is a team sport in many ways. In the case of crossing from Cuba to USA getting needed governmental permissions is a significant obstacle. Then there's the virtual flotilla of boats which involved a crew totaling forty-four individuals that provided navigation, coaching, continual kayak escort, shark protection swimmers, shark repellant equipment, and most important, protection procedures from box jellyfish.
Anyone who reads this book will come away with a sober appreciation of the dangers posed by the . As a matter a fact Diana came close to death from her encounter with them during here second 2011 try. Development of techniques to protect her from them was a major problem that needed to be solved in order to achieve a successful crossing.
Link to TED talks by Diana Nyad:
August 16, 2020
Thank you, Diana, for your faith in yourself--& all of us! I recommend anyone anywhere any-age any whatever check out her amazing account of alchemizing her challenging childhood and superhuman physical goal into pure gold. Great reading of audiobook as well.
December 28, 2015
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" Mary Oliver
Diana Nyad is nothing short of an inspiration, whether one is looking for a story of athletic achievement, triumph over adversity, dogged refusal to give to give up on a goal, or fully embracing life long after conventional wisdom might have said the best days were behind you.
"Find a Way" is a chronicle of Diana Nyad's life, including her successful record-setting 110.86 mile swim from Cuba to Florida (52 hours, 54 minutes, 18 seconds) in 2013. I'm not sure what is more amazing -- that Nyad completed this swim at the age of 64, or that she did it after 4 failed attempts, including instances where she nearly died (I think I would have thrown in the towel, called it impossible, and walked away!)
Nyad studied comparative literature as a graduate student, and worked as a journalist. These skills are forefront in this book as she is a fluid and captivating writer. I felt her passion most as she described her childhood, the several attempts at the Cuba swim, and in the final chapter of the book. Other sections of the book (relationships, her 20s, and too-detailed descriptions of the final swim preparations) meandered and I found myself less engaged.
3.5 stars
Diana Nyad is nothing short of an inspiration, whether one is looking for a story of athletic achievement, triumph over adversity, dogged refusal to give to give up on a goal, or fully embracing life long after conventional wisdom might have said the best days were behind you.
"Find a Way" is a chronicle of Diana Nyad's life, including her successful record-setting 110.86 mile swim from Cuba to Florida (52 hours, 54 minutes, 18 seconds) in 2013. I'm not sure what is more amazing -- that Nyad completed this swim at the age of 64, or that she did it after 4 failed attempts, including instances where she nearly died (I think I would have thrown in the towel, called it impossible, and walked away!)
Nyad studied comparative literature as a graduate student, and worked as a journalist. These skills are forefront in this book as she is a fluid and captivating writer. I felt her passion most as she described her childhood, the several attempts at the Cuba swim, and in the final chapter of the book. Other sections of the book (relationships, her 20s, and too-detailed descriptions of the final swim preparations) meandered and I found myself less engaged.
3.5 stars
May 10, 2024
Diana Nyad goes into painstaking description of her dysfunctional family, life and adulthood-long friendships, love of sports, the Great Dream (GD)—to cross from Havanna to Key West, Florida, four failed attempts at the GD and ultimate achievement at age 64, including self-analysis and her own brand of atheistic philosophy.
Diana has lived a fascinating life complete with extensive travel, many varied and rare opportunities, known and hobnobbed with people across all walks of life from the homeless (her own brother) to elite and suffered much in the pursuit of her Great Dream, but her motto is, Never Ever Give Up, rather, Find A Way! St. Teresa of Avila would have said she had determined determination, albeit for a limited earthly goal.
Not a comfort read! Diana will keep you on the edge of your seat sweating out her next adventure, whether it is eluding unwanted sexual harassment, enduring biting stings of the box jellyfish, cringing from the corrosive effects of long-term exposure to salt water on bare flesh, fighting huge waves which entirely engulf you or deadening fatigue after unknown hours of swimming. You won’t be bored reading her book. Amazing woman!
My friend, Susiray, wrote a very encouraging review about this book which made me want to learn more about this determined woman. When she was almost my age now, she finally achieved her life's goal and swam the Mount Everest of swimming challenges, Cuba to Key West. Having lived for a couple of years in southern Florida when I was young (and never wanting to live there again!) I remember those waters and what was in them. 😬 You wouldn't find me wanting to swim them ever again, much less after all Diana endured on some of her failed attempts!* Still reading....
*I cannot believe I went back after some of the things I saw, but I was young.
Diana has lived a fascinating life complete with extensive travel, many varied and rare opportunities, known and hobnobbed with people across all walks of life from the homeless (her own brother) to elite and suffered much in the pursuit of her Great Dream, but her motto is, Never Ever Give Up, rather, Find A Way! St. Teresa of Avila would have said she had determined determination, albeit for a limited earthly goal.
Not a comfort read! Diana will keep you on the edge of your seat sweating out her next adventure, whether it is eluding unwanted sexual harassment, enduring biting stings of the box jellyfish, cringing from the corrosive effects of long-term exposure to salt water on bare flesh, fighting huge waves which entirely engulf you or deadening fatigue after unknown hours of swimming. You won’t be bored reading her book. Amazing woman!
My friend, Susiray, wrote a very encouraging review about this book which made me want to learn more about this determined woman. When she was almost my age now, she finally achieved her life's goal and swam the Mount Everest of swimming challenges, Cuba to Key West. Having lived for a couple of years in southern Florida when I was young (and never wanting to live there again!) I remember those waters and what was in them. 😬 You wouldn't find me wanting to swim them ever again, much less after all Diana endured on some of her failed attempts!* Still reading....
*I cannot believe I went back after some of the things I saw, but I was young.
December 28, 2015
Absolutely incredible. At the end of this book, Nyad writes, in her author's notes,
"Eighty percent of what I wrote isn't in the book, but the pursuit of recalling a lifetime of experiences proved to be one of the most illuminating things I've ever done. Perspective of what was in the end important surfaced. Gratitude for this rocket ship of a life I've gotten to live overwhelmed me."
This book is so much more than the quest to reach Florida from Cuba as an open water swimmer, it is a true example of the relationship between the journey and the destination; the motivation, the struggle, the fear, the emotion and the dedication that it takes to reach a life goal and to summon every ounce of determination that one has in order to carry on, in spite of the inclination (and that of surrounding individuals) to give up.
Through the story of five attempts, Nyad also provides readers with a history of her life: a terrifying childhood, the barriers for female athletes, her difficult relationships with family and her desire to "engage" with her life. It is a true life review and it is beautiful to read.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys powerful memoirs, needs a push of inspiration/motivation and/or understands the journey that is required to work toward a goal; in addition, I must mention that there are some incredible pictures included within the hard copy. For those of you who participate in sports, like running, that lend themselves to chafing, you will not believe what she endured, as seen in some of the pictures (don't worry - they're not gross!) included in the book.
"Eighty percent of what I wrote isn't in the book, but the pursuit of recalling a lifetime of experiences proved to be one of the most illuminating things I've ever done. Perspective of what was in the end important surfaced. Gratitude for this rocket ship of a life I've gotten to live overwhelmed me."
This book is so much more than the quest to reach Florida from Cuba as an open water swimmer, it is a true example of the relationship between the journey and the destination; the motivation, the struggle, the fear, the emotion and the dedication that it takes to reach a life goal and to summon every ounce of determination that one has in order to carry on, in spite of the inclination (and that of surrounding individuals) to give up.
Through the story of five attempts, Nyad also provides readers with a history of her life: a terrifying childhood, the barriers for female athletes, her difficult relationships with family and her desire to "engage" with her life. It is a true life review and it is beautiful to read.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys powerful memoirs, needs a push of inspiration/motivation and/or understands the journey that is required to work toward a goal; in addition, I must mention that there are some incredible pictures included within the hard copy. For those of you who participate in sports, like running, that lend themselves to chafing, you will not believe what she endured, as seen in some of the pictures (don't worry - they're not gross!) included in the book.
November 2, 2015
Excellent memoir. More than a book about an extreme athlete, this is a book about courage, determination, and the amazing power of the human spirit. Must read.
January 4, 2019
This is the autobiography of Diana Nyad who set some impressive swimming records. She definitely has a story to tell and I found this very inspirational. She had trials to overcome, but I'm not sure "overcome" is the right word here. She more than 'overcame' them. She learned to deal with it and did not let them define her. She carved out her own place. Not only that, but she owned it and triumphed.
I admire her strength and dedication. This sounded honest and I appreciated her narrative voice here. So 5 stars....I would read this again.
I admire her strength and dedication. This sounded honest and I appreciated her narrative voice here. So 5 stars....I would read this again.
November 6, 2015
I loved reading about this extreme athlete who refused to give up on her dream. Yep, at age 64 she swam for 52 hours from Cuba to Florida. Two years later, she gives us a gift---her story. She figures out how to solve problems like those danged box jellyfish that sideline many others. The dedication of her team and her love for them is crystal clear. She was molested by an Olympic coach but appeared to use every negative experience as a way to strengthen her spirit. She trained relentlessly and her self discipline was superhuman. She had a playlist in her head and could repeat songs hundreds of times to pass the long nights of swimming.
This is a well-rounded look at her life and her sport. There are times when her hyper-focus makes her appear very self-centered. I don't think she could have achieved what she did without this tunnel vision.
As a 60-something I like this quote:
"I think 60 is when many people hit their prime. We elect many of our presidents in their 60s. At that age, people are full of ideas and their best self. I wanted to dig into my potential and bring out my best self."
After all, "Isn't life about determining your own finish line?" Set your goals then FIND A WAY. Thanks, Diana!
This is a well-rounded look at her life and her sport. There are times when her hyper-focus makes her appear very self-centered. I don't think she could have achieved what she did without this tunnel vision.
As a 60-something I like this quote:
"I think 60 is when many people hit their prime. We elect many of our presidents in their 60s. At that age, people are full of ideas and their best self. I wanted to dig into my potential and bring out my best self."
After all, "Isn't life about determining your own finish line?" Set your goals then FIND A WAY. Thanks, Diana!
February 4, 2016
If ŷ has a 5-star scale, then I give this book 6 stars. Ever since I read "The Orchard" by Adele Crockett Robertson, I have been in love with the Memoir/Biography genre. To glimpse into the life of someone so dedicated to a life mission is true inspiration to me. Diana Nyad's story, from page one, captivated and delighted me, cover to cover. It resonated with me on so many levels: friendship, love, feminism, athleticism, dedication, teamwork... Her writing entranced me. I loved the impressionistic, stream of consciousness descriptions of her mind on "swim," and where she would travel during those long hours. The music journey was a walk down memory lane. And I found her humor would catch me at unusual moments, and I would laugh out loud. Some might say logging through her four failed attempts was tedious; I savored the saga, knowing the final victory would be all the sweeter. And it was! I was a blubbering mess at the end, and I felt like I was on the shore celebrating the unbelievable victory with Diana. I can't wait to see Diana Nyad speak. I'm a huge fan!
November 8, 2015
I am just in awe of this woman. She was one of my favorite NPR commentators and her storytelling skills transfer well to this autobiography. Her mental discipline through 50+ hours of nonstop swimming, repeatedly trying an unprecedented athletic feat in her 60s that she failed at in her 20s, her journalism career, and her physical abilities all just blow me away. Highly recommended.
February 9, 2016
After reading this memoir, I seriously would rather climb Mt. Everest than attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida.
Diana Nyad relates her multiple attempts to complete this swim, and it certainly is inspirational. Talk about tenacity and energy. Honestly, I felt like the mental effort to simply organize her attempt(s) were equal to the physical effort of the swimming. I was exhausted merely reading about it.
Her message is one she encapsulates toward the end of her book in the following quote:
Whatever your Other Shore is, whatever you must do, whatever inspires you, you will find a way to get there.
Well, it really makes me want to get going on some long held life goals toward which I've made little progress (that novel isn't going to write itself, Anita).
So five star message!! And five stars for inspiration! The read itself was good - - especially if you like outdoor adventure stories (and I really, really do), but there's a repetitive quality to her tale that was probably unavoidable, and her Team is huge, so it was hard to get a real sense of who they were, even though they contributed tremendously to Diana's success.
The cool thing is Diana is speaking in Baltimore tonight, and I have tickets so looking forward to hearing her inspirational message in person!
Diana Nyad relates her multiple attempts to complete this swim, and it certainly is inspirational. Talk about tenacity and energy. Honestly, I felt like the mental effort to simply organize her attempt(s) were equal to the physical effort of the swimming. I was exhausted merely reading about it.
Her message is one she encapsulates toward the end of her book in the following quote:
Whatever your Other Shore is, whatever you must do, whatever inspires you, you will find a way to get there.
Well, it really makes me want to get going on some long held life goals toward which I've made little progress (that novel isn't going to write itself, Anita).
So five star message!! And five stars for inspiration! The read itself was good - - especially if you like outdoor adventure stories (and I really, really do), but there's a repetitive quality to her tale that was probably unavoidable, and her Team is huge, so it was hard to get a real sense of who they were, even though they contributed tremendously to Diana's success.
The cool thing is Diana is speaking in Baltimore tonight, and I have tickets so looking forward to hearing her inspirational message in person!
January 1, 2019
Is an inspiring story for “never, ever give up�
My best phrase is:
“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals�
Btw #haters must die! Don’t be envy of others !
My best phrase is:
“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals�
Btw #haters must die! Don’t be envy of others !
April 20, 2022
“You never know how strong you really are until strong is the only choice you have left...�
Wow, what a story! I really enjoyed this real-life telling of grit and determination over seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
This one is on the reading list of sports performance psychologist 's course A long-time fan of real-life sagas like this, I put it on my list as soon as I came across it.
Author is an American writer, journalist, motivational speaker, and long-distance swimmer. Nyad gained national attention in 1975 when she swam around Manhattan and in 1979 when she swam from North Bimini, The Bahamas, to Juno Beach, Florida
Diana Nyad :
In the public eye for many decades; first as a long-distance swimmer, then as a journalist and broadcaster, Find A Way tells the story of Nyad's incredible record-breaking nonstop swim from Havana, Cuba, to Key West, Florida; a journey of some ~110 miles(!) Along the way, she would also have to contend with potentially aggressive sharks, deadly jellyfish, and ever-changing oceanic currents.
Diana Nyad is one tough chick. If you wanted a real-life embodiment of the term grit, she would fit it to a T. This story underscores the power of mindset. The power to overcome, despite all odds. I love it!
And although the book focuses on her 5 attempts at this swim, other aspects of her life are also covered here. In a sense, the book is part real-life documentary, and part autobiography.
Nyad writes with a decent style, and this one is fairly readable. The pace seems to pick up as it goes, and it proceeds towards a fantastic crescendo at the book's (and her swim's) conclusion.
The book also features many pictures at the end, which really helped bring context to the story. I'll include a few of them below.
She talks about how long-distance swimmers can suffer third degree burns from chafing in the salt water. This picture was pretty mind-blowing:
She drops this quote, about the starting point:
As mentioned above, the swim would be extremely dangerous. Aside from potentially aggressive sharks, she would also be stung by deadly box jellyfish on her repeated attempts. The book describes many life-threatening stings see suffered (see pics below).
She writes this of the hazardous journey:
As mentioned, her swim was a nonstop journey. She writes further:
She talks about the isolating nature of an endurance event like this:
In this quote, she speaks to the power of self-talk, stories, and a rock-solid mindset:
Nyad also details some terrible sexual abuse that she suffered as a young woman. First, by her stepfather (who she had assumed was her real father), and then by her high school coach. Some of this was a bit hard to get through, as it was very gritty and hardcore...
As briefly mentioned above, her successful swim was the 5th attempt at this crossing. She mentions how many in her original crew had understandably lost their passion for this feat the fifth time around...
In the end, this is what her time and route looked like:
Labor Day, September 2, 2013.
110.86 miles.
Fifty-two hours, fifty-four minutes, eighteen seconds.
***
I really enjoyed Find A Way. If you are a fan of books on mindset and real-life sagas like I am, then this one needs to be on your list. It is the story of the iron-clad will of an incredible woman.
5 stars.
Wow, what a story! I really enjoyed this real-life telling of grit and determination over seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
This one is on the reading list of sports performance psychologist 's course A long-time fan of real-life sagas like this, I put it on my list as soon as I came across it.
Author is an American writer, journalist, motivational speaker, and long-distance swimmer. Nyad gained national attention in 1975 when she swam around Manhattan and in 1979 when she swam from North Bimini, The Bahamas, to Juno Beach, Florida
Diana Nyad :
In the public eye for many decades; first as a long-distance swimmer, then as a journalist and broadcaster, Find A Way tells the story of Nyad's incredible record-breaking nonstop swim from Havana, Cuba, to Key West, Florida; a journey of some ~110 miles(!) Along the way, she would also have to contend with potentially aggressive sharks, deadly jellyfish, and ever-changing oceanic currents.
Diana Nyad is one tough chick. If you wanted a real-life embodiment of the term grit, she would fit it to a T. This story underscores the power of mindset. The power to overcome, despite all odds. I love it!
And although the book focuses on her 5 attempts at this swim, other aspects of her life are also covered here. In a sense, the book is part real-life documentary, and part autobiography.
Nyad writes with a decent style, and this one is fairly readable. The pace seems to pick up as it goes, and it proceeds towards a fantastic crescendo at the book's (and her swim's) conclusion.
The book also features many pictures at the end, which really helped bring context to the story. I'll include a few of them below.
She talks about how long-distance swimmers can suffer third degree burns from chafing in the salt water. This picture was pretty mind-blowing:
She drops this quote, about the starting point:
"The start will be a plunge off the boulders that line the mouth of famous Marina Hemingway, where Ernest Hemingway himself fished, drank, and told bon vivant tales, where the Kennedy clan and Sinatra’s Rat Pack and Mafia dons partied many nights away on luxury yachts before the Revolution of 1959. The place shimmers with textured fables, which is of course a big part of the allure of this crossing. The natural rock wall, first buttressed to protect this island country from pirates and invasion, has by now kept Cubans in as much as it has kept others out."
As mentioned above, the swim would be extremely dangerous. Aside from potentially aggressive sharks, she would also be stung by deadly box jellyfish on her repeated attempts. The book describes many life-threatening stings see suffered (see pics below).
She writes this of the hazardous journey:
"This passage, considering the powerful Gulf Stream, with its attendant eddies and countercurrents, the particular dangerous animals lurking beneath, is unlike any other hundred-mile ocean crossing on Earth. Were you to spread out the nautical charts of all the globe’s equatorial waters, those warm enough for a swim of this length, you simply couldn’t find a more challenging hundred miles for a swimmer. This stretch, Cuba to Florida, is where Mother Nature rages. We all, the Cubans and our Team alike, grasp the gravitas of the occasion. History extends across the sea before us."
As mentioned, her swim was a nonstop journey. She writes further:
"On paper, I figured fifty-five to sixty hours. The first question everybody asks is: When do you sleep? You have to sleep, right? Wrong. The rules of the sport are such that you may not receive any aid at any time, in either moving forward or in staying afloat. Now, you can stop anytime you want, to receive nourishment from your Handlers, to stretch out your back, which becomes stiff from constantly arching and flexing in the freestyle stroke position, to switch out your goggles, to vomit from saltwater intake, to poop and pee, even to float on your back and trip out at the dazzling universe above, which seems to expand before your hallucinating eyes. But I find that you need to take care of business. You’re not really resting and regenerating while treading water. All you’re doing is using valuable calories and precious time, calories and time you’ll never get back, that you will need in later, desperate hours. Pressing forward is an imperative.
Back then, a sleep-study lab in New Jersey asked to do some research on me. They were interested in brain function levels when the will pushes the body to stay awake to continue rigorous physical activity. The first thing I learned is that you cannot store sleep. I was considering trying to sleep some very long hours before the swim, maybe a week of twelve-hour sleeps, to create a bank to call on when asking my body to perform for fifty-five or sixty hours.
There is no such thing as a bank of sleep. They had me float in one of their sensory-deprivation tanks for twenty-four hours, to see how the brain would begin to behave after being awake that long. But we found out that floating, even though you’re awake a full twenty-four hours, does not replicate the brain fatigue that occurs when you’re pushing nonstop in the ocean. And the factor that supersedes brain fatigue is the extreme stages of sensory deprivation that a swimmer working hard in the open sea for more than two days experiences like no other athlete. The folks at the lab were astonished to find a person who found floating in their tank for twenty-four hours a delightful way to pass the time.
They discovered that my left brain and right brain were actually fully functioning, together, while I was out there in the ocean for long hours. I told them I had the sensation that I was asleep and dreaming but also awake and observing my dreams. They confirmed scientifically that this was the case..."
She talks about the isolating nature of an endurance event like this:
"...Your ears—sealed by a tight cap, to keep your head as warm as possible—are rendered virtually deaf. Your eyes—the goggles fogged, the head turning some sixty times per minute, unable to focus on anything but a flash image of the escort boat—do not function well after the first twelve or so hours.
To maintain focus and some modicum of reality out there, I developed a playlist in the 1970s, which didn’t change all that much in my sixties. The great tunes of my hippie generation. Dylan, Joplin, Neil Young, the Beatles. It takes a certain mind-set to withstand the monotony and the isolation of singing the Beatles� “Ticket to Ride� 210 times, starting note to finishing note. That’s 210 times, hearing nothing, seeing nothing from the outside world. In my head, singing “Ticket to Ride� to myself. At the last note of the 210th version, I will hit seven hours on the nose. And I never lose count. It takes a certain mind-set..."
In this quote, she speaks to the power of self-talk, stories, and a rock-solid mindset:
"When Steve Jobs died, Bonnie and I watched the 60 Minutes episode dedicated to him. Somebody said, in effect, “Steve just didn’t think rules pertained to him. He saw himself operating under some other standards.� His colleagues were continually flabbergasted when Jobs would demand that certain programming or new design platforms be completed on some wildly unrealistic timetable, yet they seemed to somehow produce what he envisioned, on his irrational deadlines. When Bonnie and I heard the bit about Jobs being oblivious to laws, she slowly turned toward me and stared. It’s true. Starting with the rules laid down in my house when I was a child, I have never much respected society’s expected standards. A woman asked me after a speech during the Cuba prep how I could train at this level, with the normal aches and pains that come at my age. I answered, “Don’t put your assumptions of what one is supposed to feel at my age on me. I defy those suppositions of limitations. If you feel aches and pains, say so. But I don’t, and I refuse to follow your or anybody else’s controlling and denigrating parameters of mediocrity.� Antiestablishment to the quick, and not always gently so, I admit—perhaps not even sensibly so. If I come to a red light at four a.m., have stopped and looked carefully in all directions, I can’t find the logic of sitting there for a couple of minutes, waiting for the light to turn green. I proceed. When some television executive tells me the story I’m working on has to have a linear structure and start at the beginning, I revolt and take my case to the highest command, arguing that to embark on this particular story in the middle and work the early part in later hits the sublime emotion of it. Ask Shakespeare about in medias res. And when people from right and left and everywhere in between declared Cuba impossible, I ignored them and turned to my own analysis and instincts for the answer that rang true for me."
Nyad also details some terrible sexual abuse that she suffered as a young woman. First, by her stepfather (who she had assumed was her real father), and then by her high school coach. Some of this was a bit hard to get through, as it was very gritty and hardcore...
As briefly mentioned above, her successful swim was the 5th attempt at this crossing. She mentions how many in her original crew had understandably lost their passion for this feat the fifth time around...
In the end, this is what her time and route looked like:
Labor Day, September 2, 2013.
110.86 miles.
Fifty-two hours, fifty-four minutes, eighteen seconds.
***
I really enjoyed Find A Way. If you are a fan of books on mindset and real-life sagas like I am, then this one needs to be on your list. It is the story of the iron-clad will of an incredible woman.
5 stars.
January 6, 2019
Diana Nyad holds an inexplicable power to push herself beyond personal limits. Whether that was created from innate personal strength or forged from unfortunate personal circumstances, we get to share a bit of what it’s like to live a willful life on the edge. There is a life lesson here for all of us.
I guess I’ve always wondered what drives people to do the impossible. For many like me, Diana’s stories have been heard over the years in short but stunning news blurbs, like swimming around Manhattan or across the English Channel. Diana was always a pioneer in these feats not to mention how she elevated the capability of women each time she broke a new record. These records get broken. But, what remains each time for all of us to ponder is the question “What are our limits?�
The book is a well-written riveting autobiography told around her ultimate personal challenge - completing a 110 mile swim from Cuba to Florida. The bizarre conditions of the sport of open water ocean swimming allows only to provide and protect, but not assist her swim or float in any way, She is adrift for over two days surrounded by a flotilla of boats and staff that can only help guide, manage and protect her.
What is perhaps as remarkable as breaking the record was that she accomplished what many thought impossible on her fifth attempt at the age of 64. In the sport of open ocean swimming Cuba to Florida was the “Everest� to be conquered. It required peak physical and mental conditioning even in her 60’s and a blessing of fortunate natural conditions like warm temperatures, and favorable winds and currents. Sharks could be scared away but swarms of deadly box jellyfish were unpredictable and impossible to avoid. Through many painful experiences and many failed attempts she was able to “Find a Way� to overcome even these obstacles.
The book made me wonder whether it’s the thoughts the person holds dearly or the challenge itself that leverages our capability to go beyond the ordinary. What do we gain by trying and failing and trying again? Certainly, it all starts with a dream and ends with our ability to fight off our demons and believe in ourselves. Diana Nyad’s story is an inspiration to anyone who harbors an impossible dream.
I guess I’ve always wondered what drives people to do the impossible. For many like me, Diana’s stories have been heard over the years in short but stunning news blurbs, like swimming around Manhattan or across the English Channel. Diana was always a pioneer in these feats not to mention how she elevated the capability of women each time she broke a new record. These records get broken. But, what remains each time for all of us to ponder is the question “What are our limits?�
The book is a well-written riveting autobiography told around her ultimate personal challenge - completing a 110 mile swim from Cuba to Florida. The bizarre conditions of the sport of open water ocean swimming allows only to provide and protect, but not assist her swim or float in any way, She is adrift for over two days surrounded by a flotilla of boats and staff that can only help guide, manage and protect her.
What is perhaps as remarkable as breaking the record was that she accomplished what many thought impossible on her fifth attempt at the age of 64. In the sport of open ocean swimming Cuba to Florida was the “Everest� to be conquered. It required peak physical and mental conditioning even in her 60’s and a blessing of fortunate natural conditions like warm temperatures, and favorable winds and currents. Sharks could be scared away but swarms of deadly box jellyfish were unpredictable and impossible to avoid. Through many painful experiences and many failed attempts she was able to “Find a Way� to overcome even these obstacles.
The book made me wonder whether it’s the thoughts the person holds dearly or the challenge itself that leverages our capability to go beyond the ordinary. What do we gain by trying and failing and trying again? Certainly, it all starts with a dream and ends with our ability to fight off our demons and believe in ourselves. Diana Nyad’s story is an inspiration to anyone who harbors an impossible dream.
January 28, 2016
The world was in awe when Diana Nyad turned up on the beach of Key West, having crossed the ocean from Cuba at age 64. After reading this biography, "Find a Way," readers will soon see they don't know the half of it. All of the long hours training, the deadly jellyfish, the haywire ocean currents, the 55 hours and 100-plus miles of swimming only begin to tell the tale of what Nyad overcame to reach her dream.
She had first tried the Cuba to Florida crossing in her 20s, as were many other swimmers of a similar age making the attempt when Nyad was struggling in her 60s to accomplish the unimaginable. She had already swum around the entire island of Manhattan and done several other worldwide free ocean swims in her 20s. She then went on hiatus for 30 years...no more swimming (although she kept in remarkable shape through long distance running, racquetball, and other forms of exercise).
So at the peak of when most people think about retiring -- from their careers and certainly from sport achievement -- Nyad was back in the water, training for the impossible. What she overcame on her four previous attempts leading up to her final successful swim were heart-breaking, and many of her team had thrown in the towel when she finally decided to give it one more go, and actually succeeded.
Not only does this athletic achievement make Nyad a truly remarkable figure, but her early life was certainly no bed of roses either (a gross understatement). Coming out of a childhood of abuse is part of the story that most people have never heard, myself included.
All in all, what Nyad represents is the perseverance of the human spirit. Don't miss her story, it's truly inspiring.
She had first tried the Cuba to Florida crossing in her 20s, as were many other swimmers of a similar age making the attempt when Nyad was struggling in her 60s to accomplish the unimaginable. She had already swum around the entire island of Manhattan and done several other worldwide free ocean swims in her 20s. She then went on hiatus for 30 years...no more swimming (although she kept in remarkable shape through long distance running, racquetball, and other forms of exercise).
So at the peak of when most people think about retiring -- from their careers and certainly from sport achievement -- Nyad was back in the water, training for the impossible. What she overcame on her four previous attempts leading up to her final successful swim were heart-breaking, and many of her team had thrown in the towel when she finally decided to give it one more go, and actually succeeded.
Not only does this athletic achievement make Nyad a truly remarkable figure, but her early life was certainly no bed of roses either (a gross understatement). Coming out of a childhood of abuse is part of the story that most people have never heard, myself included.
All in all, what Nyad represents is the perseverance of the human spirit. Don't miss her story, it's truly inspiring.
November 25, 2015
It's difficult to imagine the person who wouldn't be fascinated by, touched by, inspired by Diana Nyad's memoir Find A Way. It is so much more than a mere chronicling of her epic swim from Havana, Cuba to Key West, Florida, in 2013, at age 64.
It's a breathing, pulsing offering of an extraordinary person's lifelong journey to get to her "other shore," but meant to reflect back to each and every reader that we too get to live our " one wild and precious life" with purpose, passion, and intensity, if we too are willing " to dare greatly."
Diana Nyad has lived a long and rich life, marked by trauma and tragedy as much as by success and grandeur. The context of her challenging, painful early life experiences makes her indomitable positivity and tenacity all the more remarkable.
The actual tracing of her numerous attempts to swim from Cuba to Florida reveals details of planning, research, organization, and training that make for a heart pounding suspenseful adventure story. The u layering of her evolving and fierce commitment to "find a way" reveals the depth and strength of the human spirit.
What a woman! What a story!
It's a breathing, pulsing offering of an extraordinary person's lifelong journey to get to her "other shore," but meant to reflect back to each and every reader that we too get to live our " one wild and precious life" with purpose, passion, and intensity, if we too are willing " to dare greatly."
Diana Nyad has lived a long and rich life, marked by trauma and tragedy as much as by success and grandeur. The context of her challenging, painful early life experiences makes her indomitable positivity and tenacity all the more remarkable.
The actual tracing of her numerous attempts to swim from Cuba to Florida reveals details of planning, research, organization, and training that make for a heart pounding suspenseful adventure story. The u layering of her evolving and fierce commitment to "find a way" reveals the depth and strength of the human spirit.
What a woman! What a story!
April 12, 2019
Šių metų atradimas. Stipri istorija, kuri sukrečia iki pačių gelmių. Plaukimas � tai tik priemonė, rasti savo kelią. Kai žmogus yra vedamas noro, vizijos ir svajonės, gali nuveikti tiek daug, kad net baisu pagalvoti. Taigi -> Find your Way!!!
April 5, 2018
Interesting story
September 23, 2019
I'm amazed by Diana Nyad! It was a great book of adventure and a life lived with purpose.
I actually read it specifically in the summer because I thought it would add to my love of swimming - well, it didn't. Her swims sound torturous! However, I learned some tips to keep the mind occupied during long swims, which I tried. The counting didn't do it for me, but having a list of songs to sing to myself is a great idea.
I actually read it specifically in the summer because I thought it would add to my love of swimming - well, it didn't. Her swims sound torturous! However, I learned some tips to keep the mind occupied during long swims, which I tried. The counting didn't do it for me, but having a list of songs to sing to myself is a great idea.
November 17, 2015
Very inspiring. Some of the challenges Diana Nyad went through to achieve her dream were unbelievable! What a warrior woman. From her childhood, where sexual abuse turned her into an overachiever, to her mid-sixties, where she has one more chance to achieve her lifelong dream, Nyad inspires, yet she's very human. She is introspective, suffers emotionally, wonders about herself, but in the end, gets on with it.
This is a story not just of super-human athletic accomplishment, but also of rebirth at an age when conventional culture writes you off. For example, Nyad reflects on how she feels in her sixties as opposed to forty years earlier: "I'm not as sensitive or delicate emotionally, either, so I suppose the mental calm and perspective that comes with age contributes to being more robust in this new incarnation of my athletic self...In my sixties, I am far more patient, with myself and my crew..."
Nyad also talks about the fact that she is atheistic, disliking the slogan, "It was meant to be." She says, "I learned through my own life's journey that one makes oneself a champion...(if 'it was meant to be'), then where is hope? Where does will come in? Where is the inspiration to change and better oneself?" I enjoyed her story, and felt inspired and motivated after reading it.
This is a story not just of super-human athletic accomplishment, but also of rebirth at an age when conventional culture writes you off. For example, Nyad reflects on how she feels in her sixties as opposed to forty years earlier: "I'm not as sensitive or delicate emotionally, either, so I suppose the mental calm and perspective that comes with age contributes to being more robust in this new incarnation of my athletic self...In my sixties, I am far more patient, with myself and my crew..."
Nyad also talks about the fact that she is atheistic, disliking the slogan, "It was meant to be." She says, "I learned through my own life's journey that one makes oneself a champion...(if 'it was meant to be'), then where is hope? Where does will come in? Where is the inspiration to change and better oneself?" I enjoyed her story, and felt inspired and motivated after reading it.
November 18, 2023
When she was SIXTY FOUR years old she swam from Cuba to Florida, becoming the first human *ever* to do it. 111 miles, in 53 hrs of continuous swimming.
This is 1000% my kind of book. It's giving dark horse. It's giving one chance in a million. Love books about insane athletes. I had goosebumps for like 50% of the book. Wow.
One of the most badass stories I've ever read. She tells her tale in great detail, and also shares her wise life perspective. I would love to meet her some day.
This is 1000% my kind of book. It's giving dark horse. It's giving one chance in a million. Love books about insane athletes. I had goosebumps for like 50% of the book. Wow.
One of the most badass stories I've ever read. She tells her tale in great detail, and also shares her wise life perspective. I would love to meet her some day.
April 4, 2016
Diana Nyad is an extreme ultra-swimmer, which is incredible as is her journey.
I'm a swimmer myself, so I can definitely admire her determination and the never give up mentality, just remarkable!
Diana Nyad is not, however, a good story-teller. I did appreciate the occasional sarcasm/jokes, but overall it was hard for me to follow the "plot" and order of events.
I'm a swimmer myself, so I can definitely admire her determination and the never give up mentality, just remarkable!
Diana Nyad is not, however, a good story-teller. I did appreciate the occasional sarcasm/jokes, but overall it was hard for me to follow the "plot" and order of events.
November 24, 2015
Great book. I'm keeping this one for its inspiration to never give up on your dream.
October 14, 2019
If you need some inspiration to get back to working towards that dream that keeps gnawing at you then read this book!
March 10, 2020
A truly inspirational read!
July 30, 2021
What an incredible story of resilience and dedication. Nyad's achievement is unbelievably outstanding.
I have a thing for adventurer memoirs. They are inspiring and gorgeous and so much more. This one, however, started alienating me midway through it. Nyad's quest for greatness is soundly set in a desire to not be a "timid soul" who lives a "vapid life." Okay, I get that. Unfortunately she made it abundantly clear that anyone who doesn't strive for greatness fits that bill -- ie all the rest of us. Well my ego couldn't take it. Her repeated commentary in this regard (it's what pushes her forward, it's the lense through which she sees her disappointing but brilliant brother, and more) really alienated me and honestly I felt like she was saying that people who live a good life (without greatness) are worthless.
I don't agree with that at all! One could easily turn that around and say spending thousands of hours and hundreds of days, training alone, with sensory deprivation, is what is not fully living. She is impressive, yes, but her single track focus on this definition of life-worth was too fundamental to leave room for other truths. To me, words like worth, and life, and value, and purpose -- there are as many definitions as there are people on the planet. We need to find our own but I'm learning it is important to leave room for others, or you might have the Nyad affect (ie push people away).
Compare this to Heather Anish Anderson's book -- where greatness and vulnerability meet in a resounding crescendo -- and you'll see what I mean about the difference.
I have a thing for adventurer memoirs. They are inspiring and gorgeous and so much more. This one, however, started alienating me midway through it. Nyad's quest for greatness is soundly set in a desire to not be a "timid soul" who lives a "vapid life." Okay, I get that. Unfortunately she made it abundantly clear that anyone who doesn't strive for greatness fits that bill -- ie all the rest of us. Well my ego couldn't take it. Her repeated commentary in this regard (it's what pushes her forward, it's the lense through which she sees her disappointing but brilliant brother, and more) really alienated me and honestly I felt like she was saying that people who live a good life (without greatness) are worthless.
I don't agree with that at all! One could easily turn that around and say spending thousands of hours and hundreds of days, training alone, with sensory deprivation, is what is not fully living. She is impressive, yes, but her single track focus on this definition of life-worth was too fundamental to leave room for other truths. To me, words like worth, and life, and value, and purpose -- there are as many definitions as there are people on the planet. We need to find our own but I'm learning it is important to leave room for others, or you might have the Nyad affect (ie push people away).
Compare this to Heather Anish Anderson's book -- where greatness and vulnerability meet in a resounding crescendo -- and you'll see what I mean about the difference.
April 30, 2024
Trigger Warnings: extremely graphic (sometimes minute-by-minute) descriptions of sexual violence (often against children) ... references to many other traumatic and extremely violent experiences of others - including descriptions of the Holocaust and Vietnam War)
I would NEVER have finished this book if I didn't want to count it for a reading challenge. I lovedst the Netflix film of Diana Nyad's life starring Annette Benning and Jodie Foster. In the beginning of the movie, there is a scene where Diana is at a we see glimpses of her making speeches while friends roll their eyes with amused fondness. Listening to this audiobook was like being stuck with Diana in that party for 12 hours, listening to her speech.
Except we also got the bonus of listening to her excitedly perform approximately 30 songs. She doesn't have a bad voice at all, but I really did not need to hear her sing, "Alouette, gentille alouette". I imagine it's hard to be writing your own autobiography, because you need to have some way of showing other people's experiences of you, but it will be filtered through your voice. But I am guessing that other people manage to do that without spending hours saying things like, "They were so inspired by me, and not just my athleticism, but my enlightened wisdom."
I was glad to learn some things that were in this book that weren't included in the movie - particularly the descriptions of her family members. But this book should have been cut to at least half its length.
I would NEVER have finished this book if I didn't want to count it for a reading challenge. I lovedst the Netflix film of Diana Nyad's life starring Annette Benning and Jodie Foster. In the beginning of the movie, there is a scene where Diana is at a we see glimpses of her making speeches while friends roll their eyes with amused fondness. Listening to this audiobook was like being stuck with Diana in that party for 12 hours, listening to her speech.
Except we also got the bonus of listening to her excitedly perform approximately 30 songs. She doesn't have a bad voice at all, but I really did not need to hear her sing, "Alouette, gentille alouette". I imagine it's hard to be writing your own autobiography, because you need to have some way of showing other people's experiences of you, but it will be filtered through your voice. But I am guessing that other people manage to do that without spending hours saying things like, "They were so inspired by me, and not just my athleticism, but my enlightened wisdom."
I was glad to learn some things that were in this book that weren't included in the movie - particularly the descriptions of her family members. But this book should have been cut to at least half its length.
June 11, 2020
Who would not burst into tears watching Nyad haul herself onto the Key West shore after her 52 + hour swim from Cuba--battered, weakened, lurching, swollen and burnt from salt water and jelly fish stings?
This is a well written account of the drive and journey that (after four prior thwarted attempts) finally brought her to that destination. Nyad tells the story with some puzzle pieces from her personal background that bring a lot of dimension, color and relate-ability to the narrative, creating room for a reader to be compelled to keep going. Clearly she is not "just" an extreme athlete but a thinking, reflective and humorous person. She leaves just enough shadow here and there to show the cracks in her armor. She maintains just enough distance between her and the reader that there is always space for questions to come up from under the surface of the story: when does an extreme undertaking such as this open water swim become about ego, about hubris? (Or is she crazy?) And how on earth does one person's dream manifest in a team of 40+ people sacrificing their time and energy (multiple times) to make it happen? Does the dreamer, having achieved the dream, then move into a service role for someone else's dream?
Recommended for anyone who is taking on a challenge that is well beyond their comfort zone (--like to the point of risking one's life). This would be a good supportive read for maintaining one's mind set and remembering that possibility = the starting point.
This is a well written account of the drive and journey that (after four prior thwarted attempts) finally brought her to that destination. Nyad tells the story with some puzzle pieces from her personal background that bring a lot of dimension, color and relate-ability to the narrative, creating room for a reader to be compelled to keep going. Clearly she is not "just" an extreme athlete but a thinking, reflective and humorous person. She leaves just enough shadow here and there to show the cracks in her armor. She maintains just enough distance between her and the reader that there is always space for questions to come up from under the surface of the story: when does an extreme undertaking such as this open water swim become about ego, about hubris? (Or is she crazy?) And how on earth does one person's dream manifest in a team of 40+ people sacrificing their time and energy (multiple times) to make it happen? Does the dreamer, having achieved the dream, then move into a service role for someone else's dream?
Recommended for anyone who is taking on a challenge that is well beyond their comfort zone (--like to the point of risking one's life). This would be a good supportive read for maintaining one's mind set and remembering that possibility = the starting point.
June 11, 2024
Diana Nyad’s swim from Havana to the Florida Keys at age 64 was incredible. She developed a support network and fought her way to the top. As such, Find a Way is largely about overcoming obstacles by forcing and suffering. This might not be the only way to achieve a goal, but suffering and hard work are mostly what Diana’s journey is about. The graphic photos of physical damage to her body were shocking. It was not a pleasant book to read. In addition, her plot device of circling back seemed repetitive.
I did like how she credited her team and made them a part of her story. She literally trusted them with her life, and fully acknowledges it. The technical aspects of her journey held my interest: the training, the several failures, the improvements, and the final successful swim. I also liked learning about her career as a sportscaster.
Overall, this is a good book for swimmers and sports enthusiasts who subscribe to the “no pain, no gain� principle.
I did like how she credited her team and made them a part of her story. She literally trusted them with her life, and fully acknowledges it. The technical aspects of her journey held my interest: the training, the several failures, the improvements, and the final successful swim. I also liked learning about her career as a sportscaster.
Overall, this is a good book for swimmers and sports enthusiasts who subscribe to the “no pain, no gain� principle.
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