Diana Nyad took long-distance swimming to a whole new level Monday, becoming the first person to ever swim from Cuba to Florida without the assistance of a shark cage.
Nyad, 64, swam from Havana, Cuba to Key West, Fla. in 53 hours, departing Cuba Saturday and ending up along the shores in Florida a little before 2 p.m. ET Monday, according to The Associated Press. Her finish in Florida was met with a crowd and a lot of applause.
"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," Nyad said on the beach following her journey, according to The Associated Press.
A video of the impressive feat can be seen below:
Nyad was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and given an IV when she returned to shore because her crew said she had been slurring her words while she was out in the water. Reports indicated that Nyad was placed on a stretcher upon reaching the shoreline.
"I have to say, I'm a little bit out of it right now," Nyad admitted to The Associated Press following her accomplishment. "I just wanted to get out of the sun."
The feat, which was approximately 110 miles long, was Nyad's fifth attempt to complete the swim. Nyad first attempted the epic journey in 1978, and after failing to accomplish it, she tried unsuccessfully three times between 2011-12.
Nyad told AP that she cut her last journey short due to storms, bad currents and jellyfish stings which left her face swollen. This time, she came prepared, wearing a full body suit, gloves, booties and a facemask at night to fend off jellyfish.
Nyad had a team working with her to ensure her safety, and even had a faint electrical force field around her to fend off sharks.
Nyad first became well-known in 1975 when she swam the 28 miles around Manhattan in just under eight hours. Monday, she accomplished a feat that she'll never forget.
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