The Uncommon Beauty of Diana Nyad

[riverwalker]

http://www.chookooloonks.com/blog/diana-nyad

the uncommon beauty of diana nyad, & the relentless corporate & media censorship of real beauty
by Karen Walrond

In case you missed it (and honestly, you could be forgiven if you did), today, sports history was made: a woman named Diana Nyad finally set foot on the Florida Keys, after swimming the entire distance from Cuba to the United States. She was the first person ever to do this without the benefit of a shark cage (this distance has only been conquered one previous time, by a 22-year-old Australian named Susie Maroney, who used the protective cage when she accomplished this feat in 1997). This means that while Diana faced sharks, storms, jellyfish, and other untold horrors, she just kept right on swimming, with nothing but the power of her arms and legs (no fins!), and a prosthetic mask to minimize jellyfish stings to her face and mouth.

Oh, also, one more thing: Diana is 64 years old.

This was Diana's fifth attempt. I have actually been following her for a couple of years; first in 2011, when her third attempt was aborted because of jellyfish and Portuguese Man-of-War stings (and dude, those things hurt); then again last year, when her fourth attempt was aborted for the same reason. This morning, when I saw an update on Twitter that she had beat Penny Palfrey's distance record (Penny had an aborted attempt in 2012, as well), I started paying close attention; when the news came that she was only 6 miles off the coast of the Florida Keys, I began looking for live news media coverage of this historic feat.

We don't have cable in our house, so ESPN and CNN weren't options, but I was surprised to discover that the main American news networks, ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS weren't covering it either, instead continuing their regular programming. (When I returned to my computer, I learned through a general outcry on Twitter that it didn't matter that we don't have cable, ESPN and CNN weren't covering it, either.) After about an hour or so, I finally found that CNN.com was offering a live feed with no audio; then, as Diana could finally be seen from shore swimming in the distance, the audio feed was turned on -- but only shared the noise of the crowd gathered on the beach, without any official commentary at all.
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[Link Speed]

1. "if Diana had stopped to twerk with a few jellyfish"

"she might have made the networks."

[enough]

2. I think the lack of hyped, controlled media coverage was a good thing.

Last edited Mon Sep 2, 2013, 09:56 PM - Edit history (1)

It allowed the reality Diana's accomplishment and of her strength to be seen without the usual stupidity. What better way for her to be greeted than by ordinary humans standing in the water greeting and applauding her. Yes, it was chaotic. It made her humanity so clear. A planetary feat.

[angstlessk]

3. The youtube video has shut down comments????

They usually do that when people become ignorant and mean..who could denounce such a wonderful feat?

[angstlessk]

4. I think I answered my own question...I found this comment on PBS on her last try

Why, please why, would the newshour spend so much valuable time and Margaret Warner's considerable talent on the marginally interesting but ultimately selfish pseudo- adventure of Diana Nyad?

It may be a 'man thing' since the posters nomenclature began with robert?

That was a year ago..I hope he chokes on his comments

[Precisely]

5. Maybe if she had auto or alcohol endorsements.

A great accomplishment and many fans who get it, anyway.

[bemildred]

6. Yum.

That's a fearsome babe there.