Month: June 2020

A 23-Year-Old Speech Exposes Diana Nyad’s Decades of Deception

The recently unearthed transcript of a 1997 Diana Nyad speech confirms that she is a serial liar, if not a compulsive one. The document also shows that, in all likelihood, she fabricated her abuse allegations.

It’s important if you are going to take a look at your life
that you have to be honest about it.
—Diana Nyad, “The Courage to Succeed”

In September of 1997, members of the American Railway Bridge and Building Association gathered in Kansas City, Missouri, for their 102nd annual meeting. Glancing at the program, attendees might have been surprised to find, sandwiched between more routine offerings such as “Explosive Removal of Bridges,” “Safety Improvement Trends in Maintenance of Way Equipment,” and “Reopening of Stampede Pass,” something unexpected: “The Courage to Succeed,” presented by “Diana Nyad, Journalist.”

I recently came across a transcript of that presentation. It establishes beyond any doubt that, for Diana Nyad, lying is standard procedure. The transcript also provides the most persuasive evidence to date that Nyad fabricated her sexual abuse allegations against her high school swim coach.
Continue reading “A 23-Year-Old Speech Exposes Diana Nyad’s Decades of Deception”

The Olympic Roots of Diana Nyad’s Abuse Allegations

Diana Nyad’s abuse allegations grow from her failure to achieve her first Xtreme Dream: Winning a gold medal at the Olympics.

“Nyad, you’re going to be the best swimmer in the world.”
—Diana Nyad quoting Jack Nelson, Find A Way, p. 43

Whether Jack Nelson said exactly those words or not, a young Diana Nyad heard them as a promise. The moment her high school coach made that promise, reaching the Olympics became Nyad’s obsession, her original Xtreme Dream.

Most young swimmers have that same fantasy. It becomes a reality for a few, while the rest manage to work through their disappointment and move on.

Well, most of the rest. When Jack Nelson told Diana Nyad she could be great, an Olympic medal became, in her mind, a foregone conclusion. Over half-a-century later, she still wraps herself in the security blanket of her failure every time she strides out to face an audience.
Continue reading “The Olympic Roots of Diana Nyad’s Abuse Allegations”