Diana Nyad, Cuba to Florida Swimmer, Closes In

Long distance swimmer Diana Nyad has slowly but steadily made her way toward Florida as the first person to swim from Cuba without a shark cage.

On her fourth straight day of swimming, the 62-year-old was due to arrive somewhere in the Florida Keys on Tuesday. If she makes it there by Wednesday, which is also Nyad's 63rd birthday, the swimmer will have just over 30 miles to go.

Nyad's team has kept the media up-to-date on her progress from Cuba to Florida this week, tweeting that she has already completed 59.9 miles.

"Today is more like swimming," one member quoted Nyad as saying via Twitter on Tuesday. "I don't know what you would call last night… Probably surviving."

Although Nyad is wearing a bodysuit that covers her from head to toe, leaving only cut-outs for her eyes, nose, and mouth, she is not protected from the dangers of the water.

In addition to enduring the physical fatigue from so much swimming, Nyad is battling at least four stings from jellyfish all while coping with swelling in her lips and tongue from the salt water.

Last year, Nyad's hopes of completing the Cuba to Florida swim were wrecked due to jellyfish.

Moreover, the swimmer and her crew have sharks to worry about, although none have been spotted yet.

It is Nyad's third attempt to make the harrowing 103-mile unassisted swim in less than a year. In order for her quest to make the records, she is not permitted to be touched or touch any member of her support team or their vessel. Also, she is not allowed to sleep while attempting the journey.

While burning up to 30,000 calories swimming, Nyad must eat tubes of peanut butter every 90 minutes.

In September last year during her last attempt, Nyad stopped swimming after over 40 hours, 67 nautical miles, and two Portuguese Man-of-War stings.