At last check, she was almost 50 hours into her swim.

A swim that could possibly take three days to complete at a speed of less than two miles-per-hour. A 103-mile trip from Havana, Cuba to Key West, Florida.

And yet, she swims—dodging sharks, poisonous jellyfish and treacherous waves. Just her, the water and a dream.

Meet Diana Nyad, a woman who is the epitome of strength, courage and determination. She’s a distance swimmer, whose last remaining goal is to swim the channel between Cuba and the United States without a shark cage.

She’s 64.

She’s made four previous attempts, the last being halted by painful jellyfish stings she received to the face. Incredibly, she’s back to try again. This time, making it farther than she ever has, and breaking a distance record previously held by Penny Palfrey, who herself earned the title at the age 50.

For these women, age is only a number, and proof that mental toughness is the key to keeping an insatiable drive—and never giving up.

Cheer on Diana and catch live updates on her website, www.diananyad.com.

Update: Diana landed on the shores of Key West just before 2 p.m. ET, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without flippers and a shark cage. She completed her historic swim in just over 52 hours.

“You never are too old to chase your dreams.” ~ Diana Nyad

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Ed: Sara Crolick

{photo: via Amy on Pinterest}