Diana Nyad, the First Person to Swim from Cuba to Florida, Speaks at New Roads School

In concluding her talk with New Roads Middle School students on October 11, renowned endurance athlete Diana Nyad shared her thoughts upon reaching dry land immediately after being the first human being to swim 100 miles in the open ocean from Cuba to Key West, Florida, “Never, ever give up. You are never too old to chase your dreams. And I never would have reached that shore without my team.” Ms. Nyad attained this life-long goal at age 64, on her fourth attempt.

Ms. Nyad said that her parents were early inspirations for becoming a swimmer. She discussed how persistence and resolve played important roles in advancing as an endurance swimmer and completing the Florida/Cuba journey in spite of life-threatening obstacles like sharks, lethal jellyfish, and extreme physical and environmental challenges. Ms. Nyad’s talk reinforced the Middle School’s theme for the year – grit, a key topic in the students’ summer reading projects that has been integrated throughout the middle school curriculum. Ms. Nyad’s newest project. EverWalk, is a national movement to inspire millions of people to walk regularly to reverse the impact sedentary lifestyles have on our health.

Change Makers Student Speaker Series coordinator and New Roads Middle School Dean of Students Mark Vickers-Willis says, “Ms. Nyad is a change maker on a global level and an inspiration to all. She exemplifies the applied effort, determination and aspiration that we seek to foster in our students.”

New Roads School’s Change Makers Student Speakers Series aims to help equip and inspire young people to be active participants in making the world a better place. Past speakers include New York Times columnist Nick Kristof, Harvard Astrophysicist and author Lisa Randall, and bestselling author and staff writer for The New Yorker Malcolm Gladwell.