How old is too old? Diana Nyad is swimming from Florida to Cuba…at age 61

I enjoy swimming and I’ve done a number of open water races up to 2.4 miles as part of an Ironman Triathlon. But to swim 103 miles from Florida to Cuba in the ocean with sharks, man o’war jellyfish while battling changing seas conditions and trying to eat and drink enough is simply incomprehensible to me.

Diana Nyad is going to make the 103 mile swim attempt at age 61. This will be her second attempt.  Her first attempt was 32 years ago at the age of 29.  She swam for more than 49 hours before stopping due to eight foot swells.

Why is she doing it?

In her interview in the Washington Post, Diana said that when she turned 60 her life “was screaming by like a hurricane.” She wrote on her blog, “I blink and it’s April. I blink and I’m 61.”

When she asked herself what she regretted most, it was her first failed attempt at the swim to Cuba.

I turned 40 a week and a half ago.  I don’t feel any different, my over 40 friends keep telling me: “It’s all downhill from here.”

But is it all “downhill from here” as we get older?

Apparently not, according to Diana: “When I swim, I don’t feel old, I feel eternal.”

Hmmm…not only is she apparently attempting to defy her age but she’s choosing to not love with regret.  I like that.

Honestly, I have no desire to swim 103 miles (nor can I imagine that most people do), but you and I can draw inspiration from Diana Nyad whatever age we’re at.

When Diana was asked if she’ll stop to tread water on her swim from Cuba to Key West, she said, “Why would I rest?  It means I’m not going anywhere.”

The key, it seems, is to keep moving. To keep progressing.  To keep going forward.  To keep challenging yourself.

Like the Navy SEALs, I consider Diana Nyad to be elite in her own way.   She’s choosing to pursue a challenging path with an unknown outcome.  There’s great risk with not much reward other than the satisfaction of doing something special.

What is that “something special” you want to do, but haven’t done yet? Why not? Why not start now? What’s stopping you? “Too old” doesn’t seem to be a good excuse any more.

If you think your “something special” is too big, too daunting, etc.   Do what Diana Nyad – just throw it out there.  Start with a vision and an end goal.

My next “something special” that I want to do is what I’m calling The Elite Project. I want to find and interview the elite people out there like Diana Nyad and the Navy SEALs and figure out what makes them tick. What are the things that they’re doing to achieve success in their area of expertise that we can use and apply in our own lives – in whatever we’re doing – to be successful, to be elite? That’s my vision.

Live strongly and boldly!

David

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David B. Glover, MS, CSCS
Endurance Guru, ENDURANCEWORKS, LLC
Director, the ELITE Project
Author of Full Time and Sub-Nine: Fitting Iron Distance Training into Everyday Life

© 2011 David B. Glover