What You Can Learn From Diana Nyad

If anyone has good reason to give up on their dream, it is US marathon swimmer Diana Nyad.

This week, the 64-year-old set a new world record by swimming 180 kilometres from Cuba to Florida. A two-day, two-night swim starting at Havana and on through the treacherous, shark- and jellyfish-infested Florida Straits. 

And she did it without the aid of a shark cage.

Even more inspiring, the swim was her fifth attempt in 35 years. Her first was when she was 28.

On previous attempts, jellyfish stings, an asthma attack, fierce currents and storms got the better of her.

What made the difference this time?

According to her friend and chief handler Bonnie Stoll, "Diana did her homework."

After each failed attempt, Diana would learn from the attempt, make adjustments, improvise, and consult experts. 

To break the cycle of jellyfish stings, she found an expert on box jellyfish to help her contain the threat. 

To ward off sharks, she used a team of shark divers who carried special zappers. 

She discovered which wetsuits served her well in saltwater and which nutritional gels and drinks best fueled her journey. 

She was also quick to back her own judgment. When her custom made prosthetic mask started to cut her mouth and tongue and make it hard for her to breathe, she discarded it.

Diana Nyad has not only set a new record for distance swimming, she has become a new reference point that anyone can succeed at any age, if they want it enough. 

If Diana can do it, so can you, if you learn from her experiences and model her strategies.

Here are five lessons that can empower the way you live.

5 Lessons from Diana Nyad's 110-mile Swim

1. Never give up.
2. Surround yourself with experts who know more than you do, and tap on their wisdom.
3. Trust your judgment. If you try a certain solution and the outcome doesn't serve you, let it go and move on.
4. Plan to succeed.
5. Be flexible. If Plan A doesn't work, try Plan B. If Plan B doesn't work, try Plan C.

As Diana famously said after emerging from the surf at the end of her epic swim, "You are never too old to chase your dreams."

OVER TO YOU 

Do you have a story to share of how you overcame the odds and accomplished something that means a lot to you?

What is one thing you can do today that can help you reach a dream that has been in your heart but which has not yet come to fruition?

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please share by posting in the Comments box below!