While Chloe sets her sight on her next marathon swim, Diana Nyad prepares for her next stunt.

bobswims

While Chloe sets her sight on her next marathon swim, Diana Nyad prepares for her next stunt (albeit an extremely hard one).

http://www.diananyad.com/blog/nyad48-hour-times-square-swim

"We are building a custom pool and we're going to install it in Times Square at the start of 2013 Hurricane Season. In early October I will swim in one lane for 48 continuous hours. In the lane next to me, we will invite all kinds of notable New Yorkers, from professional athletes to Broadway stars, to media personalities, to do a few laps." - DN

But Chloe is staying true to the spirit of traditional marathon swimming, and will continue to swim under traditional rules.

"It's really important to me to stick to traditional marathon swimming, so most people just call it English Channel rules — bathers, goggles and cap."

My vote goes to Chloe.

IronMike

Wow! Nyad's proposal sounds very much like the swimming stunts Webb did after his EC crossing. How long until Nyad attempts to swim the rapid below Niagara Falls?

Jbetley

It will be about as interesting as those stunts were as well. Will a directional streamer be employed one wonders.... ;-)

loneswimmer

Since this doesn't pretend to be a marathon swim, I find it of zero relevance. @Iron_Mike is accurate in its comparison to Capt Webb's exploits such as his 128 hour floating stunt at the Boston Horticultural Show, and as such is (ironically), part of a long tradition.

ChickenOSea

How funny!! I swim at Mingara when I'm home. It's a stone's throw from my mums house. Nice pool

Haydn

I wish I could swim for 48 hours.

KarenT

As @loneswimmer says, there's a long tradition of 'exhibition swimming' among early marathon swimmers - especially by women. With limited alternative opportunities to earn an independent income, many performed in Vaudaville-style swimming and diving exhibitions in large tanks, or took part in 'marathon' pool swims (floats) (although it's probably the case that many of the audience members were more interested in the novel spectacle of women in figure-revealing bathing suits than having any interest in the swimming per se, and interest eventually waned as the display of women's bodies became more common in film and on stage). I don't think that DN is necessarily connecting to this history and tradition, but it's a useful reminder of the post-swim histories of the pioneers of the sport.

Pablo

I love that Diana is bringing so much attention to our sport and inspiring people like Chloe in the process. I'm thankful for her spirit and willingness to live her life by her terms. She has inspired me beyond words. When all has passed she will be a mark in history and her critics will be forgotten.

MvG

Pablo wrote:

I love that Diana is bringing so much attention to our sport and inspiring people like Chloe in the process. I'm thankful for her spirit and willingness to live her life by her terms. She has inspired me beyond words. When all has passed she will be a mark in history and her critics will be forgotten.

While my personal preference is for gritty, old-fashioned Channel swimming rules, I would agree with Pablo and not be too judgmental on the different degrees of showmanship and media savviness brought to the sport by different swimmers.

There is a place for all, as long as swimmers are respectful of each others' efforts, which DN is as far as I can see (even if she is brutally honest - and why not - about her emotions and competitiveness towards others having a shot at Cuba-Florida, see http://www.diananyad.com/blog/cuba-swim-impossible).

I find DN's physical fitness and mental determination in combination with her age incredibly inspiring. Stunts such as hers on Times Square don't interest me much, but don't bother me either - live and let live.

bobswims

I also think DN brings raises up public awareness of marathon swimming. My only comment is that when one speaks louder on the public stage than everyone else, they become the reference point and set the definitions. The public hears about what DN did on the swim and it becomes the de facto rules of the sport to everyone outside the small community of marathon swimmers.

As for demonstration/exhibition swims in the past, it seems like they were done after a successful swim so the swimmer could reap some financial benefit for their hard work. However, I could be wrong, and many may have also been done as a means to raise funds for their next swim.

What DN does is incredibly difficult without a doubt. Since everyone talks about doing a swim by "channel rules" why not just have a different category of swims under DN rules? :-) I also think people should read DN's post @ http://www.diananyad.com/blog/cuba-swim-impossible. Read the comments as well. They give you another perspective on DN's swim.

IronMike

Read the comments. Wow. Sycophant much?

bobswims

Niek wrote:

DN's post @ http://www.diananyad.com/blog/cuba-swim-impossible.
She's still trying to draw all the attention and praise towards herself.

"Dear Diana,
I hope in the next few days Chloe allows you to reach out to her . . . As an athlete . . . you would have found elation in knowing Chloe never would have made the attempt unless you had the dream first. Without you chronicling the training, the prep of your team, even the raising of funds to make the swim possible, the next athlete would have had almost a 0% chance of putting this together. Chloe may have done this for herself but it certainly was a little easier because you swam before her."

[I was going to comment on this post, but I think it speaks for itself]

ChickenOSea

Niek wrote:

Australians Susie Maroney and Penny Palfrey apparently didn't have had any influence here.

Nor, apparently, did reality. I had not read the DN blog until now.....

Thanks and congratulations on your swim Chloe!!! Aussies f'n rule )) xx

evmo

Pablo wrote:

I love that Diana is bringing so much attention to our sport and inspiring people like Chloe in the process. I'm thankful for her spirit and willingness to live her life by her terms. She has inspired me beyond words. When all has passed she will be a mark in history and her critics will be forgotten.

This is an interesting notion, one which seems to derive from the axiom that any publicity is good publicity, and leaving a "mark on history" is more important than living with integrity and enriching the lives of others.

Not meaning to equate the two, but Lance Armstrong left a mark on history, too.

To my mind, people like @david_barra and @Rondi bring attention to marathon swimming when they create a beautiful new event and tradition to a new area (Hudson River Valley), earning a lengthy article in the New York Times.

To my mind, people like @Ned Denison bring attention to marathon swimming when they create a world class training camp in Cork, earning the attention of Outside Magazine. Cork Distance Camp continues to enrich the lives of English Channel aspirants.

Diana Nyad doesn't bring attention to marathon swimming. She brings attention to herself. She can only bring herself to even mention other marathon swimmers when she is publicly hoping they fail (e.g., Chloe's recent attempt). Her blog post and associated comments were nauseating.

ChickenOSea

It's almost like a religious cult

Pablo

I agree with you evmo the truth can be nauseating, but I prefer it over denial. I actually found her blog refreshing. We people aren't as pretty as we would like to think, but we can find beauty in our hearts with compassion to accept each other as they truly are.

IronMike

bump

smith

2014: Chloe McCardel will likely find an appropriate body of water, and under EC rules will break the world record for an unassisted solo swim. There will be no question about the validity of the swim because it will be completely transparent.

I really don't have a problem with Diana Nyad wearing a special suit or a mask. I do have a problem with the directional streamer and her handlers touching her. At best, it's an assisted swim. She's tough, gutsy, and amazingly talented, but it's only natural that past indiscretions can make anyone suspicious.

Haydn

"When all has passed she will be a mark in history and her critics will be forgotten"

I don't think so. Her swim highlights most, how important world first, unique and record swims must be documented and observed. The issues with Diana's swim shows flaws in the documenting. It is absolutely vital to the integrity of all our swims.

If we think we are good enough to do something this special, we should be equally as good at documenting it. It is not good enough just to be a good swimmer anymore.

The problem now is that Dianas' swim might be remembered in history for the unpleasantness, not for the gutsy performance.

And don't for one moment think her critics will be forgotten. Many of these 'critics' are really concerned for the integrity of the sport. Many are world class, active long distance swimmers, just as competitive, gutsy and inspired. Many are a generation or two younger. Don't think that these swimmers will not make names for themselves and continue to push the boundaries. Don't think that these swimmers have not already made names for themselves.