What Happened To Diana Nyad After She Completed Her 2013 Swim

Nyad depicts long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad’s dream to be the first person to swim from Havana, Cuba, to Key West, Florida, without the use of a shark cage or any assistance. But the movie doesn’t reveal the controversies that followed her after her feat in 2013. The 2023 Netflix biographical sports film tells the true story of Nyad’s 35-year journey to complete the 110-mile swim, which she finally accomplished on September 2, 2013, her fifth attempt to do so. Nyad crossed the Straits of Florida in 53 hours after departing from Havana on August 31, and a couple of days later, a crowd was waiting on a beach in Key West to celebrate her achievement.

Annette Bening played Diana Nyad in Nyad on Netflix, while Jodie Foster starred as Bonnie Stoll, Nyad’s coach and friend, and Rhys Ifans portrayed the swimmer’s navigator, John Bartlett. The movie is based on Nyad’s 2015 autobiography Find a Way, so it is a pretty accurate depiction of the long-distance swimmer’s account of her life and record-breaking swim. Of course, co-directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin had to dramatize and change some elements in the film. Even though Nyad is based on a true story, it leaves out the controversies surrounding Nyad’s swim from Cuba to Florida.

Diana Nyad Became A Celebrity After Her 2013 Swim

Diana Nyad’s arrival in Key West on September 2, 2013, marks the end of Nyad on Netflix, but in real life, her story was only just beginning. Quickly following her triumph, Nyad received worldwide attention and fame for her 110-mile swim, which she accomplished at the age of 64. News stations and newspapers were sharing her story, and soon, many became familiar with Nyad and her impressive feat in the Straits of Florida.

Eight days following her 110-mile journey, Nyad appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where she talked about her swim and what she thought about while in the water. The long-distance swimmer was also interviewed by Oprah Winfrey on her talk show a month later, and Nyad was announced as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars season 18 in March 2014. Unfortunately, she was the first celebrity eliminated, and Nyad’s media attention soon took a turn for the worse.

Why Diana Nyad’s 2013 Swim Was Never Certified

Unfortunately, the celebration of Diana Nyad’s 110-mile swim from Havana, Cuba, to Key West, Florida, in 2013 was short-lived because it was never certified by the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA). According to Time Magazine, the sport of marathon swimming was just gaining traction when Nyad completed her journey, so things like rules and having established officials who would oversee and recognize long-distance swims were not concrete. WOWSA founder Steven Munatones had observed Nyad’s first four (failed) attempts to cross the Straits of Florida but was unable to do so during her fifth (successful) one. As a result, the swim couldn’t be officially ratified.

Nyad requested that the WOWSA recognize her 110-mile swim, but the organization refused to do so after a lengthy investigation. In 2022, WOWSA stated that there was no evidence to prove that Nyad was never assisted or helped during her journey. Following WOWSA’s decision, the Guinness Book of World Records revoked Nyad’s swim from its database. To this day, many in the marathon swimming community argue over whether the swim should be ratified and if Nyad ever received assistance while in the water. Because of this, Nyad’s name continues to be at the forefront of the sport — whether that’s a good or bad thing is up for debate. Related: Nyad Review: Annette Bening Leads Disappointing Biopic With Moments Of Greatness

Diana Nyad’s Career As An Author Explained

Two years after Diana Nyad’s controversial swim, she published an autobiography, Find a Way, about it on October 20, 2015. However, that was not the first time the long-distance swimmer had written a book. Following her first failed attempt to cross the Straits of Florida, Nyad published Other Shores, a novel about her life and swimming career, in 1978. Her second book, Basic Training for Women, features physical fitness tips and was published in 1981, and her third book, Boss of Me, told the story of Keyshawn Johnson, a former NFL player, and was released in 1999. Nyad has also written articles for high-profile publications, like The New York Times.

On March 19, 2020, Nyad released an audiobook, The Swimmer: The Diana Nyad Story, which also recounts the 110-mile swim in 2013. Aside from her writing career, Nyad continues to swim in open waters (not competitively). Additionally, she conducts interviews with other athletes and is promoting the 2023 movie about her life, Nyad.

Source: Time Magazine