Discuss some of the dangers and obstacles that Nyad faced when swimming from Cuba to Florida.
The dangers that she faced were sleep deprivation, and she was stung by the deadly box jellyfish not once, but twice.
Consider how Nyad physically and mentally trained for her endeavor. Which of these training and conditioning exercises—those designed to increase her physical endurance or those intended to get her through mentally—do you believe helped her the most and why?
I think these swims prepared her better than anything else could have, because they prepared her for what she was going to be doing, they gave her a piece of reality and prepared her for what she was going to have to accomplish.
What does Nyad mean when she describes swimming as ‘a sport that is sort of a microcosm of life itself’?
Not many people choose to swim as a sport, but those who do are a microcosm of life itself because they are not common but unique.
Describe Nyad’s experience when she encounters the box jellyfish during the first night.
The first time she encountered the box jellyfish, her medic jumped in the water to help her, but he got stung and gave himself shots while she continued to swim.
Nyad quotes poet Mary Oliver at the end of her talk by saying, “So what is it, what is it you're doing, with this one wild and precious life of yours?" How would you answer that question? Describe what an extreme dream is and if you have any. How would you work to achieve your dreams—extreme or not? Explain your answer.
I could work to achieve my dreams by making goals for myself and working hard every single day to achieve those goals, big or small.
Since the filming of this Ted Talk in 2011, Diana Nyad has, in fact, successfully completed the swim from Cuba to Florida. To what do you attribute her eventual success? How would you assess the effectiveness of her training knowing that she did complete the swim?
She didn't give up, she continued to work at her goal and to train until she got what she wanted to achieve.
