Ft. Lauderdale in Broward County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Marathon Swimmer Diana Nyad
Photographed by Daniel Slosberg, November 6, 2025
1. Marathon Swimmer Diana Nyad Marker
View from the south.
As a child growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Diana Nyad was a champion pool swimmer. She swam at nearby beaches and became one of the most renowned ocean swimmers in the world. At age 24, she was the first person to swim north to south across Lake Ontario. The swim took 18 hours and 20 minutes. In 1975, 26-year-old Nyad swam around Manhattan Island in 7 hours. 57 minutes, breaking the previous record. In 1979, she swam from Bimini in the Bahamas to Florida, in just over 27 hours. Nyad initially attempted to swim from Cuba to Florida in 1978, failing after a 42-hour endeavor. She pursued the dream of a Cuba-to-Florida swim for 35 years. attempting the 110-mile swim five times. In 2013, after 52 hours. 54 minutes of swimming, Nyad prevailed. She made history as the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. As she emerged from the sea in Key West, she declared: "Neverever give up." She was inducted into the Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1978, and her story continues to inspire others around the world. In 2015, Nyad published Find a Way, a memoir about her life's journey which was adapted into the film NYAD in 2023.
A Florida Heritage Site
Erected 2025 by Dr. Lynette Long and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-1279.)
Topics. This historical
this page online
Location. 26° 7.164′ N, 80° 6.264′ W. Marker is in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, in Broward County. It is at the intersection of South Atlantic Boulevard (Florida Route A1A) and Las Olas Boulevard ( Route 842), on the right when traveling north on South Atlantic Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 241 South Atlantic Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale FL 33316, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in South Florida, on the Gold Coast, and in Greater Miami. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Fort Lauderdale Beaches Wade-Ins (a few steps from this marker); Indian Haulover (approx. 0.4 miles away); Third Fort Lauderdale (approx. 0.4 miles away); Bridge of the Isles (approx. one mile away); Evergreen Cemetery (approx. 2 miles away); Ivy Julia Cromartie Stranahan (approx. 2 miles away); The Stranahan House (approx. 2.1 miles away); Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (approx. 2.1 miles away).
Also see . . . Marker Dedication. (Submitted on November 7, 2025, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, October 15, 2025
2. Marathon Swimmer Diana Nyad Marker
Photo of marker in shop after text correction.
Photographed by Daniel Slosberg, November 7, 2025
3. Marathon Swimmer Diana Nyad Marker
View from the north with the Fort Lauderdale Beaches Wade-Ins Marker in the background, across the Las Olas Beach entrance.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 7, 2025, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 178 times since then and 76 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 8, 2025, by Daniel Slosberg of Los Angeles, California. 2. submitted on November 7, 2025, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. 3. submitted on November 8, 2025, by Daniel Slosberg of Los Angeles, California.
