You are never too old to chase your dreams

My breakfast buddy actually called Diana Nyad an "imbecile" between bites of her veggie egg white omelet one morning this week.
"The reason you don't hear about other people swimming from Cuba to Miami all the time is there aren't many people who would want to do something so crazy,'' she said. "Admit it."
"Never," I said as I slathered butter on my bagel.
 Nyad, 64, one of my all-time heroines, is my first choice for Sportsperson of the Year.
Earlier this week she swam 110 miles in shark-infested, jellyfish-filled waters to finally -- on her fifth attempt -- complete this "crazy" feat. She walked out of the water on her own and told supporters and microphones a trio of slurred tidbits: "One is, we should never ever give up; two is, you're never too old to chase your dreams. ...''
At 55, I have enough trouble hauling my butt out of bed each morning for a walk to Starbucks with one of my confidants. The thought of putting on a bathing suit and wearing it in front of television camera would paralyze me with fear. I can't even get motivated to drive over to my neighboring fitness center to take a water aerobics class with the rest of the mid-aged, Speedo-clad manatees.
The third comment Nyad, a motivational speaker and Hall of Fame distance swimmer, offered up was: "... it looks like a solitary sport, but it is a team.''
Nyad, along with her 35-member support team, without use of a shark cage, finished the journey to Key West in 53 hours. Years of science, research and her individual training helped her complete this journey. Nyad can credit the team, but it was her years of time in the water that paid off.
The audience is divided on Nyad's success. Some like my breakfast buddy have even accused Nyad of being an unashamed, self-promoter. How many people climb Mt. Everest and keep it a secret? How many people start a blog to get attention?
And with 24-hour news always looking to fill another minute or two I'd much rather see/hear/read about people who accomplish extraordinary feats instead of twerking (a dance move that is not well enough known for auto-correct to not override the usage of the word).
One mile in a 50-meter Olympic swimming pool is 16 laps (32 lengths). Before quitting my swim club team, 16 laps in a pool would drive me crazy with boredom. I also hated sweating while in the water.
A silicone mask, bodysuit, boots and gloves were Nyad's lone protection from sea creatures. Okay, in 1997 Australian Susie Maroney, with protection and draft of a shark cage, had also completed the trip. No less a feat if you ask me. If a shark cage makes you feel safer, go try it.
In Chicago there are restaurants called 90 Miles Cuban Cafe. Legend has it the cafes' Gonzalez family journeyed from Cuba in 1980 on a shrimp boat from Mariel Harbor to Key West. The boat, in stormy seas took 15 hours to hurl them to freedom and their first step towards building an American dream. My family loves Cuban food. It is approximately 30 miles to the nearest 90 Miles Cuban Cafe from my house. For some reason it has always been too overwhelming to drive on the Kennedy Expressway and I-90 (okay my aversion to driving on bridges and highways is a whole other blog) to get there for the cuisine. But here's a promise: We will get there this year and toast Nyad with a BYOB Cuba Libre and some Ropa Vieja.
Congratulations Diana Nyad.