What does it look like to never give up on your dreams? At age 64, endurance swimmer Diana Nyad inspired the world by becoming the first person to swim the 110.86 miles from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage, accomplishing the “Mount Everest of swims.” It was a dream 35 years in the making and accomplished only after four crushing failures. This fall, Netflix will bring her story to the screen in the feature film Nyad starring Annette Benning and Jodie Foster. In our conversation today, Diana opens up about what it means to commit to big goals, face your fears, and live each day with no regrets.
Follow Diana: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Show Notes
- How Diana’s story of never giving up on her dream inspired the world (1:53)
- The personal reason why she chose the Cuba to Florida swim (3:23)
- What made Diana pursue her dream again, three decades after her first attempt (6:27)
- Don’t become a spectator in your own life (9:52)
- The greatest obstacles she faced in the Cuba to Florida swim (13:06)
- The power of mindset (15:38)
- Don’t cheat yourself (20:00)
- If you dream big, you’re going to come up against obstacles (23:21)
- Make a commitment to yourself (24:10)
- The discipline and sacrifice required to achieve at the highest level (25:19)
- Why Diana kept going after four failed attempts (31:37)
- If you hadn’t achieved your goal, would you still feel fulfilled? (33:08)
- Be everything you can be (35:25)
- What Diana’s life was like after she finally achieved her lifelong dream (37:24)
- The mission behind her EverWalk initiative (44:54)
- The new Netflix film on Diana’s Cuba to Florida swim (49:29)
Resources / People Mentioned
- Find A Way by Diana Nyad
- Nyad (Netflix)
- Annette Benning, actress
- Jodie Foster, actress
- EverWalk, nonprofit
- Bonnie Stoll
- Barack Obama, President
- Christopher Reeve
- The Summer Day by Mary Oliver
- Sanjay Gupta, Neurosurgeon and medical reporter
- Endurance by Alfred Lansing
- Kwame Nkrumah, NAACP
- Michelle Obama
- John Cullen, Ironman
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Bozoma Saint John on Living Your Life to the Fullest
- Amy Van Dyken on How to Keep a Positive Outlook
- Inky Johnson on Overcoming Adversity
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