Novelty

NOVELTY. This article matches with novelty because it's unusual that somebody could achieve such a goal and  it's interesting.

Found at the Austin American Statesman

SWIMMING

Determined Nyad finally achieves goal

Swimmer goes from Cuba to Key West on her 5th attempt.

By Jenni5er Kay ASSOCIATED PRESS

   KEY WEST, FLA. — Looking dazed and sunburned, U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad staggered onto the shore of Key West Monday, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage.

   The 64-year-old swam up to the beach just before 2 p.m., about 53 hours after she began her journey in Havana on Saturday. As she approached, spectators waded into waist-high water and surrounded her, taking pictures and cheering her on.

   “I have three messages. One is, we should never, ever give up. Two is, you’re never too old to chase your dream. Three is, it looks like a solitary sport, but it is a team,” she said on the beach.

   “I have to say, I’m a little bit out of it right now,” Nyad said. Her lips were swollen by jellyfish stings, and her mouth bruised by face gear she wore to protect her from the venomous tentacles.

   People from around the world tracked Nyad on her website and rooted for her. President Barack Obama and Florida Gov. Rick Scott took to Twitter to congratulate her.

   Her team said she had been slurring her words while she was out in the water. She was on a stretcher on the beach and received an IV before she was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

   Despite a Sunday-night storm that brought winds of up to 23 knots and bouts with nausea, Nyad made good time in the first half of the swim. A favorable current helped her, and by about 5 a.m. Monday she was on course to conquer her dream.

   Nyad’s journey began in 1978, when she first tried with a shark cage but came up short. She gave up swimming for decades, but conquering the Florida Straits continued to eat away at her. In her 60s, she trained to regain her old form.

   She made her second attempt in 2011, followed by two more failed attempts. This time, the support team accompanying her had equipment that generated an electrical field around her, designed to repel sharks.