Geezerfish Diana Nyad teaches masters tracksters: Don’t quit

Diana turns W65 in August.

The current issue of The New Yorker has an amazing profile of Diana “I finally swam from Cuba to Florida” Nyad. We learn more about her damaged life (molested by stepfather and a swim coach) but also about her drive to achieve her goal — swim the damn Straits of Florida. Many people, including her friends and trainers, think she’s nuts. But at least they supported her on the swim at age 64. What’s that have to do with us? Well, we don’t deal with sharks, currents, stinging jellyfish and sensory deprivation. But we can share her dream to do what we couldn’t as youngsters. It doesn’t have to be an Olympic medal. It can be as simple as running a mile or throwing a discus. Diana’s dream is ours: Be the athlete we always wanted to be. And never, ever give up!