Diana Nyad

Keynote Speaker | World Champion Athlete and Author

25 million people worldwide rooted for DIANA NYAD as she reached the shore, at long last achieving her 35-year-old quest of becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida. 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. NYAD, a feature film based on Diana’s life, was released in Fall 2023 starring Annette Bening and Jodie Foster.  A prominent sports journalist for NPR, The New York Times and others, Diana has earned her place as one of our compelling storytellers.  Diana’s best friend and Cuba Swim expedition leader Bonnie Stoll have further collaborated with their nationwide walking initiative EverWalk, and another initiative, OceansCommit, hosting walks along our shorelines, asking individuals and businesses to reduce single-use plastic.