Nyad Finishes Swimming Goal 35 Years After She First Tried

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The swimmer Diana Nyad has finally accomplished what no other athlete has ever done. She swam 110 miles from Cuba to Florida without a protective shark cage and she did it at the age of 64. As Nyad emerged from the Gulf of Mexico yesterday, he tongue swollen from swallowing sea water, she had messages for the crowd that greeted her.

DIANA NYAD: One is we should never ever give up. Two is you're never too old to chase your dreams.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Diana Nyad had been chasing her Cuba to Florida dream for decades. Before a previous attempt to cross from Cuba to Florida, a friend had a question for her.

NYAD: So she said, Diana, what do you think about out there? Are you thinking about the mystery of the ocean, you know, how the tide's effect - you know, affected by the moon and whatnot? And I said sometimes I do go there. But to be really frank with you, right that minute I was singing "The Beverly Hillbillies" theme song 2,000 times.

(LAUGHTER)

INSKEEP: (Singing) Come and listen to a story about... (Speaking) Anyway, Diana Nyad has not said what she was singing in her head during this swim, but whatever the tune was, it propelled her into the record books. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.