In 2013, Diana Nyad became the first person to swim the 100 mile journey from Cuba to Florida, and she gave a TedTalk on how her incredible experience was a way of strengthening her perseverance and determination. One interesting idea that she mentioned in her talk was that during the night, she couldn’t see the front of her hand when she was swimming since the ocean was pitch black. Her and her team did not use any lights during this journey because it would attract jellyfish, sharks, fish that would attract sharks, and other animals that could potentially harm her. For extended periods of time, she did not have any visual sensations, but instead relied on the playlist of songs she listened to and the pounding of the waves against her skin to keep her grounded. With the help of her team, Nyad was able to complete her 100 mile journey at the age of 64 – a time where most people would not believe that one could accomplish their goals.
A dream that I would like to achieve would be to work in the neurological field in the future, whether that be through research or the medical field. I have a strong passion for neuroscience and I believe that I could help change the lives of others. There are definitely times where I have doubted my ability to complete this dream because I have worries of what college I get in to, what opportunities I will have in the future, and my ability to handle the challenges that are thrown at me during these times of my life. However, I know that despite these challenges, I will be able to persevere through my problems and always turn back to why I started a challenging path in the first place.
Nyad’s TedTalk has inspired me to always stay motivated when my workload seems unbearable. Especially last semester, I felt very burnt out by the time November and December rolled around, and I was not getting enough sleep over extended periods of time. This semester, I hope to balance my sleep schedule with my workload since I have experience in all of my classes. I would also like to improve in remembering my passion for my classes whenever I become overwhelmed with the amount of work I have on my plate, and to realize that everything will be okay in the end.
If you would like to learn more about Nyad and listen to her inspiring TedTalk, I highly suggest you watch the video below!
Works Cited:
Nyad, Diana. “Never, Ever Give Up.” TED, www.ted.com/talks/diana_nyad_never_ever_give_up.
AP Biology with Kristen 
Hey Kristen! You had a great summary of Diana’s video and journey, and overall your writing and flow was great. I could really relate to your story about school, stress, and sleep (or lack there of) because of your detail and nice writing. Maybe for the future include some more media to enhance your blog post and visually engage readers. I can totally see you in the neurological field conducting research in the future! I believe in you and I know you will accomplish your goal.
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