• We were all set to publish this post, finger hovering over the “publish” button, when the latest news about Diana Nyad came through. Read our update at the top of this post, and then read on to find out about the sheer determination and grit of this amazing woman!

Tuesday, 2pm: Diana has been pulled from the water, her crew too concerned for her safety to allow her to continue.  She is suffering from severe sunburn, a strained bicep muscle, and numerous jellyfish stings, as well as damage to her lips and tongue because of salt water. She is on her way to Key West in Florida to receive medical attention. It’s a sad way to end another epic attempt at this crossing, but it’s almost inevitable that she will try again, impossible doesn’t seem to be a word that this lady understands. Commiserations Diana, and get well soon!

• The original post starts below:

She’s back in the water! Diana Nyad is currently swimming somewhere between Cuba and Florida, this is her fourth attempt to complete the 103 mile distance. She hopes to become the first person to swim across the Florida Straits without the safety of a shark cage, after her attempt last September was abandoned due to potentially deadly jellyfish stings. Should she manage it, I predict the Chuck Norris meme will finally be retired, and we’ll all be wearing Diana Nyad pyjamas.

After a fairly uneventful start on Saturday, a storm blew up the following night, bringing lightning and rain and veering her off course as she swam, but a report after 35 hours said she was well and comfortable and continuing through the storm, despite numerous jellyfish stings on her lips, forehead and arms. An apparatus on a kayak shadowing Nyad helps keep sharks at bay by generating a faint electric field, and she is also accompanied by divers who will jump in to protect her at the first sight of sharks that might manage to get through.

All going well, Diana is due to reach the Florida keys on Tuesday. She’ll want to get back before Wednesday anyway, for her 63rd birthday!

Tuesday morning update: That pesky storm has delayed Diana’s progress by more than 6 hours, but the recent weather has been much more calm, with the added bonus of some friendly dolphins joining her on Monday evening!

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