Find a Way

One

Crisis

The chanting begins in a gentle chorus and grows to an ­adrenaline-­ fueled frenzy. Our voices emanate from the dock at Marina Hemingway in a resounding boom, sweeping over the cobblestoned streets of Old Havana, wafting across the sea ­toward faraway U.S. shores.

The Xtreme Dream Team is ­thirty-­five strong. We are huddled. Closest to me in the center is Bonnie. And Candace. And Mark. And John. They are my lifeline.

I yell. The cadence falls in:

Where we swimming FROM?

They answer:

CUBA!!

I pump it up a notch:

Where we swimming TO?

They escalate:

FLORIDA!!!!!!!

We are giddy with faith. Our secular version of a religious revival, the congregation chanting in a fever. We are as one. This will be Our Time. Our collective passion catapults us into an altered state of zeal. Our voices pump through the humid late afternoon of a sultry day in Havana, September 23, 2011. We are believers.

The crew scatters to their respective boats while I return to the hotel room. They need to be through customs and waiting for me to swim out of the mouth of Marina Hemingway Harbor in two hours.

I go back to the silent rituals. Hydrating. Yoga. Stretches. Deep breathing. A meditation of calm and focus. I am talking to myself, very slowly. I inhale with one syllable, exhale with the next, imbuing my brain with the mandates of this possibly impossible endeavor, this endeavor that drives my life force:

Take every minute, one at a time. Don t be fooled by a perfect sea at any given moment. Accept and rise to whatever circumstance presents itself. Be in it full tilt, your best self. Summon your courage, your true grit. When the body fades, don t let negative edges of despair creep in. Allowing flecks of negativity leads to a Pandora s box syndrome. You can t stop the doubts once you consent to let them seep into your tired, weakened brain. You must set your will. Set it now. Let nothing penetrate or cripple it.

I visualize

Diana Nyad

Life-affirming. . . . A story about refusing to accept, or be defined by, defeat. The New York Times Book Review

An inspiration.   The Wall Street Journal

Reads like a gripping thriller. People

Outstanding. . . . A masterful memoir and powerful demonstration of what s possible when you don t give up your dream. The Christian Science Monitor

What makes Nyad s story so remarkable, beyond the harrowing trials she faced at sea unpredictable currents and weather, deadly sea animals is the strength of a resolve that would not admit defeat and knew no boundaries. Whatever your Other Shore is, she writes, whatever you must do . . . you will find a way. Inspiring reading for anyone who has ever dared to dream the impossible. Kirkus Reviews

Fascinating. . . . Nyad s writing is clear and direct, with her grit and determination finally finding a way. The Seattle Times

Astonishing. . . . Her message to readers is that anyone who has a dream and perseveres can also be successful. Houston Chronicle 

Exciting. . . . A life-affirming story. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Nyad fiercely owns this story. . . . [She] also envelops those friends, family, and colleagues who helped her along the way, and any readers who would take heart from it. Booklist (starred review)

A fascinating glimpse into her life as a talented and fiercely determined athlete. . . . [A] moving account. Library Journal