Resilience & Perseverance
Diana Nyad
Long-Distance Swimmer, Author & Subject of the Film NYAD
Investment
$50,000 plus first-class airfare from Los Angeles, hotel, meals & transfers
The Biography
Diana Nyad is the first person to successfully complete the 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida without the protection of a shark cage. Speaking the words "Never Ever Give Up" to the wildly cheering crowd on a Key West beach on September 2, 2013, Diana demonstrated to the world the power of the human spirit. Diana's amazing record: 110.86 miles in 52 hours, 54 minutes, 18 seconds. She achieved this feat at age 64 — making 5 attempts over 30 years to finish the world record-breaking route. Her incredible journey led her to be inducted into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame. Diana has written four books, including her bestselling memoir Find a Way: The Inspiring Story of One Woman's Pursuit of a Lifelong Dream. The upcoming movie NYAD is based on Diana's life — starring Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, and directed by Academy Award winners Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (Free Solo).
Signature Topics
At 64, after four previous failed attempts spanning three decades, Diana became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage — dramatized in the Netflix film Nyad — and speaks directly on persistence that spans not months but decades.
Diana's keynote addresses her mantra "find a way" — the discipline of returning to a goal after public, repeated failure, and what it actually takes to keep showing up for something that has already defeated you multiple times.
In Their Own Voice
Video reel — captions available on the platform. Open original.