American swimmer Diana Nyad is about to make history by swimming in open water from Cuba to Florida.
Nyad, 64, declared that this will be her fifth and final attempt at crossing the 103 miles (166 kilometers) that comprise the strait between Florida and Cuba, the BBC reported.
Shortly before 4 a.m. on Monday, her support team tweeted on her official account that "the 10 mile countdown has begun," reported CNN. It's the first time the American swimmer has come so close to Florida, after she suffered dehydration-related problems on her first four attempts where oceanic currents and jellyfish stings kept her from finishing.
On Sunday, September 1, Nyad broke Penny Palfrey's record for the longest swim without a shark cage. It's worth remembering that the feat accomplished by the American swimmer will be doubly worthy, taking into account that in 1997, Australian Susie Maroney, then 22 years old, completed the same swim but with a shark cage.
For her latest attempt, Nyad has decided to use surgical gloves and a special mask to avoid jellyfish stings on her tongue , one of the decisive factors that kept her from achieving her goal in August 2012.
"It took us over a year, we had to make cast after cast," Nyad told CNN. "It's a double-edged sword for me. It's uncomfortable, hard to swim with it, but it doesn't matter. I'm sure. There is no other way."
The swimmer is accompanied on her swim by a team comprised of 35 people on board two sailboats who monitor her health, update her progress on social media and keep sharks away from her.
Follow Diana Nyad's swim LIVE.
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