International Swimming Sensation Diana Nyad Is Also The Author Of Four Books

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Netflix’s new film Nyad tells the harrowing story of marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, 74, who tried—and failed—to swim from Cuba to Florida when she was 28, and how she eventually accomplished this goal at 64.

It was no easy feat—Diana attempted the journey from Cuba to Florida five times in 35 years, per CNN. On, September 2, 2013, she finally succeeded after swimming for nearly 53 hours and across 110 miles without a protective cage, CNN reported.

At the time, Diana made global headlines and was congratulated by a slew of famous people, including then-President Barack Obama who wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Congratulations to @DianaNyad. Never give up on your dreams.”

But long before Diana was an international sensation, she was simply a swimmer. Originally born in New York City, Diana moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when she was a kid, according to The New Yorker. She started swimming as a teenager and became a Florida state champion in backstroke events.

Diana says on her website that she first started thinking about trying to swim to Cuba when she was 9 years old. “When the Cuban Revolution erupted in 1959, Cuba became a looming place of mystique to all of us in south Florida,” she says. “That island we knew so well overnight became forbidden to all U.S. citizens. I remember it to this day. I was on the beach with my mother when I was nine, searching the horizon for a glimpse of Cuba. My mom pointed out across the sea and said to me: ‘There. Havana is right out there. It’s so close that you, you little swimmer, you could actually swim there.’”

Fast forward to 2023, and the blockbuster biopic Nyad stars Annette Bening as Diana and Jodie Foster as her trainer and friend Bonnie Stoll. The film chronicles how the duo worked together to accomplish the “Mount Everest” of open water swims.

So, what is Diana Nyad doing now?

Short answer: A lot. She regularly posts on Instagram about the perks of swimming and still does open water swims herself. Here's what else she's been up to in recent years:

She has written four books.

Diana hasn’t exactly been sitting on her butt all these years. She’s the author of four books:

• Other Shores (1978)

• The Boss of Me: The Keyshawn Johnson Story (1999)

• Find a Way (2015)

• The Swimmer: The Diana Nyad Story (2020)

Boss of Me: The Keyshawn Johnson Story

The Swimmer: The Diana Nyad Story

Find a Way: The Inspiring Story of One Woman's Pursuit of a Lifelong Dream

She also wrote a guest essay for The New York Times in August about what it’s like to swim in 100-degree water.

She had a brief stint on Dancing With The Stars.

Diana competed on the 18^th season of DWTS in 2014, but she didn’t make it far. Diana was partnered with Henry Byalikov and finished last.

Diana later told TV Guide that she was “mortified” about her outfit on the show. “I've got a pretty damn good body, and I was mortified in that dress,” she said. “I've never felt like the girl over on the side who doesn't belong, and I actually did feel like that a little bit that night. Not on the dance floor with Henry. I decided to go for it. But other times. I've never felt like that ever. So I've gotten together with the wardrobe department and said, ‘If I get a chance to go another couple of dances or more, don't ever let that happen to me again.’”

She recently interviewed other elite athletes.

On November 4, Diana shared on Instagram that she "had the privilege of interviewing Olympian Caster Semenya" in Los Angeles to promote Caster's new book, The Race to Be Myself.

She's a "tennis devotee" after picking up the sport at 68.

When Diana's not in the water, you can catch her on the court. "I fell in love with tennis as a child and didn’t take it up till age 68 so I’m now a tennis devotee," she shared on Instagram. "I have some laughs out on a pickleball court now and then but tennis has captured my heart."

What is Diana's current net worth?

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Diana is worth $3 million.

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