{"id":5987,"date":"2025-05-22T18:41:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T18:41:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nyadfactcheck.com\/annex\/?p=5987"},"modified":"2025-11-12T13:12:47","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T13:12:47","slug":"diana-nyads-historical-marker-fort-lauderdale-struggles-to-find-the-perfect-words-for-honoring-a-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nyadfactcheck.com\/annex\/diana-nyads-historical-marker-fort-lauderdale-struggles-to-find-the-perfect-words-for-honoring-a-fraud\/","title":{"rendered":"Diana Nyad\u2019s Historical Marker: How Fort Lauderdale Struggled To Find The Right Words To Honor A Fraud"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Above:<\/strong> Diana Nyad models false equivalence. She posed for this photo in 2017 at her marker\u2019s proposed location, across the Las Olas Beach entrance from the Wade-Ins marker. That marker commemorates the 1961 protests against Fort Lauderdale\u2019s segregated beaches. Image via Dr. Lynette Long\u2019s \u201cProposed Marker Location Request,\u201d<\/a> 21 Jun 2017.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2018, Fort Lauderdale\u2019s Parks, Recreation and Beaches Board voted on a resolution to place a Diana Nyad Historical Marker at Las Olas Beach. Chairperson Debby Eisinger and all but one other board member voted against the resolution. The marker died, or so I thought.<\/p>\n

When the Nyad biopic opened five years later, Nyad\u2019s supporters began a crusade to resurrect the marker. Eisinger led the battle. Though she no longer sat on the Parks, Recreation and Beaches Board, the former mayor of Cooper City, Florida, she retained (and retains) clout at Fort Lauderdale City Hall. She wanted the City Commission to vote on the marker last April 2, so they voted on and approved it last April 2. She demanded that they place the marker at the entrance to Las Olas Beach, so they agreed to place it at the entrance to Las Olas Beach.<\/p>\n

Eisinger gave three reasons for that placement. Two of them are lies from Nyad\u2019s core repertoire. According to Eisinger,<\/a> Las Olas
\n<\/p>\n

has very specific symbolic and personal meaning for Diana Nyad, whose stellar swimming career began there as a child accompanied by her mother, where she practiced for years into adulthood. It was also exactly the spot where her dream for the Cuba swim first took root.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Nyad didn\u2019t train for open water swimming off any Fort Lauderdale Beach. She left Florida at least two years before she learned about the sport<\/a> of marathon swimming. Before that, she trained only in pools.<\/p>\n

Nor is Las Olas the spot where her dream \u201ctook root.\u201d Eisinger alludes to Nyad\u2019s mom-on-the-beach story: Nine-year-old Diana stands on a Fort Lauderdale Beach with her mother, who points out to sea and says Cuba\u2019s so close \u201cthat you, you little champion swimmer, you could almost swim there.\u201d (Here\u2019s one version from 2024<\/a>.) But Nyad didn\u2019t start swimming competitively until she was 12<\/a>, and Las Olas faces east, so her mom would have been pointing at the Bahamas. And Nyad didn\u2019t start telling that story until 2014. Before that, she always said she found the swim on a map or a chart<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If that\u2019s not enough to convince you she\u2019s lying, then consider that Nyad once said: \u201cMy childhood and high school and college and maybe even a little bit longer \u2014 I remember almost nothing.<\/a>\u201d That\u2019s a lie, too; she\u2019s written and spoken frequently about her childhood, high school, and college years. But the lie reveals a fundamental Nyadian truth: we can\u2019t believe a word she says.<\/p>\n

Higher Order Fraud<\/h3>\n

Eisinger\u2019s third reason for the Las Olas placement is disingenuous and offensive. She suggests an equivalence between Nyad\u2019s marker and the one already at Las Olas. According to Eisinger<\/a>, this third reason is<\/p>\n

of a different and perhaps higher order. There already is a marker on the south side of that entrance, the Wade-In marker, one that honors the African-American community. Diana Nyad embodies two communities that have also suffered discrimination; she is female and she is gay. Her marker would be a companion piece to the Wade-In marker and would make that entrance, in effect, a DEI site. It would also create a visual symmetry, as well as be a welcoming beacon to those who have not always enjoyed the benefits of equality.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Wade-Ins marker honors people who risked their lives protesting segregation at Fort Lauderdale\u2019s beaches. Those protesters fought for justice and equality. Diana Nyad fights for attention and adoration. Her marker will be a monument to gullibility and deceit.<\/p>\n

And Eisinger is being disingenuous when she raises Nyad\u2019s sexual orientation. The marker text doesn’t mention that Nyad is gay. If her sexual orientation were critical to the marker\u2019s placement, the text would say something about it. People unfamiliar with Nyad will read the marker and learn nothing about her sexual orientation. Eisinger raises the topic to inflame her fans and manipulate the Commissioners.<\/p>\n

Many of the details in this post come from emails I received in response to a Florida Sunshine Law request to the City of Fort Lauderdale. Among those emails was one Eisinger sent to Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Tantralis<\/a> on January 29, 2024. It revealed Eisinger\u2019s lobbying strategy: Convince the Commissioners that Diana Nyad rocks and that her detractors lie. No Nyad critics knew about the marker vote until the day of the meeting. Our inability to comment simplified Eisinger\u2019s job; she didn\u2019t have to worry about facts hindering the marker\u2019s approval.<\/p>\n

Eisinger met individually with the Commissioners months before the vote, presumably to gush about Nyad and vilify her critics. (The emails mention four critics in particular: the current director of Fort Lauderdale\u2019s International Swimming Hall of Fame, Bill Kent; two former directors, Brent Rutemiller and Bruce Wigo; and me.) After Eisinger met with the Commissioners, it was Nyad\u2019s turn. \u201cI was glad to hear that each of you had the privilege of meeting Diana Nyad at the recent Stonewall Gala where she was honored,\u201d Eisinger wrote to the Commissioners in March 2024. \u201cI also heard that she was quite the engaging and inspirational speaker as well as personable, funny, warm, and friendly off stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since Kent, Rutemiller, and Wigo cite the Nyad Fact Check site, Eisinger focused on convincing the Commissioners that I was the biggest liar. She had no proof, so she used repetition to create the illusion of proof. In her January 29 message to Mayor Trantalis<\/a>, Eisinger wrote:<\/p>\n

Daniel Slosberg, a critic of Diana\u2019s wrote to us challenging the legitimacy of her swim. . . Based on those communications which turned out to be false or misleading, the approval was withdrawn by majority vote. . . . Sadly, it appears now that an injustice was done with the withdrawal of the approval.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On the day of the meeting, Eisinger emailed Scott Wyman<\/a>, the mayor\u2019s Chief of Staff. In the message, she responds to Bill Kent\u2019s request to table the Nyad Marker resolution:<\/p>\n

It should not be tabled and we have the responses to all of the naysayer comments which [come] from a blogger named Daniel Slosberg.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A few minutes later, Eisinger wrote to Commissioner Steven Glassman, who represents the Commission on the International Swimming Hall of Fame\u2019s Board of Directors:<\/p>\n

I actually chaired the Parks, Recreation and Beaches Advisory board back in 2018. The Board originally supported the marker (unanimously) and subsequently withdrew approval at a following meeting after receiving this same fact check list that you were just sent.<\/p>\n

[The list Bill Kent sent \u2014 “51 Fabrications” \u2014 didn’t exist until 2021<\/a>. Brent Rutemiller, the director of the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2018, sent a link to nyadfactcheck.com<\/a> \u2014 DS.]<\/em><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, at that time, we did not have the history as to why this \u201cfact-check\u201d list gained traction and an understanding as to why some at the ISHOF have likely been opposed to Diana Nyad.<\/p>\n

I regret that the Parks, Recreation and Beaches advisory board was not given the opportunity to research the source behind the \u201cfact-check\u201d material. Knowing now what I did not know in 2018, I am strongly standing behind Diana Nyad and the honor she deserves.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Eisinger never said what she knew in 2024 that she didn\u2019t know in 2018. She never offered any factual responses, only personal attacks and innuendo. The Commissioners still gave her everything she wanted.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Florida Department of State\u2019s Historical Marker Program staff worked to remove exaggerations and lies from the marker text. Their most telling changes involved Nyad\u2019s contention that she trained at Las Olas. Eisinger demanded that the City place the marker at Las Olas mainly because of that training. The final marker text acknowledges that the training didn’t happen:<\/p>\n

Version 1: \u201cNyad practiced frequently at Fort Lauderdale Beach.\u201d
\nVersion 2: \u201cShe later trained off of this beach.\u201d
\nVersion 3: \u201cShe later trained off nearby beaches.\u201d
\nVersion 5: \u201cShe swam at nearby beaches.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Above:<\/strong> A Fort Lauderdale police officer confronts Wade-Ins participants in 1961. A historical marker honoring Diana Nyad, a compulsive liar and con artist, doesn’t belong at this beach. Image via the Westside Gazette.<\/a> The same image also appears in Rob Hiaasen\u2019s \u201cGrowing up means understanding hate in Dixie and the Sunshine State,\u201d The Baltimore Sun, 3 Sep 2017 (archived)<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

Marker Texts<\/h2>\n

Version 1 \u2014 May 31, 2017<\/strong>
\n<\/em>From Dr. Lynette Long\u2019s <\/strong>initial application.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This version talks about Nyad\u2019s Cuba\u2013Florida crossing for the first two-thirds of the text.<\/p>\n

MARATHON SWIMMER DIANA NYAD [version 1<\/em>]<\/strong>\r\n\r\nOn September 2, 2013, at the age of sixty\u00ad-four, Diana Nyad staggered onto Smathers Beach in Key West, Florida after swimming 111 miles from Havana, Cuba. Nyad was the first person to make the treacherous journey without the benefit or a shark cage. In an epic fifty\u00adthree hour swim that personified both endurance and courage, Nyad won the hearts of millions of admirers around the world. Exhausted but exhillerated Nyad told the awaiting crowd: \"Never, ever give up. You\u2019re never too old to chase your dreams. It looks like a solitary sport, but it\u2019s a Team.\" The triumphant swim was Nyad's fifth attempt. She first attempted the swim thirty\u00adfive years earlier. Intense preparation, mental toughness and her mantra\u2014 find a way\u2014 helped Nyad realize her dream in her sixties that had eluded her as a young champion. Nyad garnered national attention at age 26 she swam the 28 miles around Manhattan Island in a recordbreaking 7 hours and 57 minutes. Diana Nyad grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She attended Pine Crest School and was the Florida State High School 100 and 200 meter Backstroke Champion. Nyad practiced frequently at Fort Lauderdale Beach. <\/strong>Nyad was inducted into the National Women's Sports Hall of Fame \r\nin 1986.<\/pre>\n
The 30-Year Rule<\/strong>: A Florida Department of State rule<\/a> says that Historical markers must mark something historical: \u201cNo individual may be mentioned in a marker text until thirty years after the death of said person or thirty years after the significant event with which that person is associated.\u201d Folks at the Department of State informed Dr. Long about the problem. She shuffled things around, added a few more swims, some uplifting language, and then submitted a second version.<\/p>\n
\n
Version 2 \u2014 February 21, 2018\/April 2, 2024
\n<\/em>Dr. Long aligns the text with the 30-year rule.<\/strong><\/p>\n
MARATHON SWIMMER DIANA NYAD [version 2<\/em>]<\/strong>\r\n\r\nAs a child growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Diana Nyad was a champion pool swimmer. She later trained off of this beach and became one of the best ocean swimmers in the world. At age 24, she was the first person to swim north to south across Lake Ontario. The record 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 by over an hour. In 1979, she swam 102.5 miles from Bimini in the Bahamas to Jupiter, Florida, in just over 27 hours.\r\n\r\nBut it was Nyad\u2019s first attempt <\/strong>to become the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida, a 42-hour endeavor in 1978, which secured her place in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.<\/strong> 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 continuous<\/strong> swimming, Nyad\u2019s tenacity<\/strong> 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: \u201cNever ever give up.\u201d Nyad\u2019s story serves as inspiration to millions around the world. The Fort Lauderdale native\u2019s achievements are a testament to the power of the human spirit.<\/strong><\/pre>\n
On April 2, 2024, the Commissioners voted to send version 2 to the Florida State Historical Marker Council. But the Council somehow lost control over the marker. According to the Council\u2019s chairman, \u201cThe decision regarding the award of a Marker for this application has been removed from this Council.\u201d When I asked why, he didn\u2019t respond.<\/p>\n
Mayor Trantalis signed version 2 on April 10, 2024.<\/a> A month later, I sent an analysis of the text\u2019s exaggerations and lies to the Florida State Historical Marker Program staff. (I posted the analysis as \u201cDiana Nyad\u2019s Magic Marker.\u201d<\/a>)<\/p>\n
\n
Version 3 \u2014 September 10, 2024<\/em>
\nResponse to objections from \u201cmembers of the public.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n
In an email to Dr. Long and Mayor Trantalis, Florida Historical Marker Coordinator Jeremy Heiker <\/a>wrote:<\/a><\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the City of Fort Lauderdale expressed its approval of installing a historical marker for Diana Nyad.<\/p>\n
However, objections were raised by members of the public regarding the accuracy of the information to be placed on the marker. Our office has reviewed the complaint and has made changes to the existing text in response. We believe that this attached edit is acceptable for publication. We hope that you agree.<\/p>\n
Our office is prepared to move forward with the creation of this marker if all parties are still interested.<\/p>\n
Thank you for your patience.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
MARATHON SWIMMER DIANA NYAD [version 3<\/em>]<\/strong>\r\n\r\nAs a child growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Diana Nyad was a champion pool swimmer. She later trained off this beach<\/del>\u00a0nearby beaches<\/strong> and became one of the best<\/del> most renowned <\/strong>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 102.5 miles from Bimini in the Bahamas to Jupiter, Florida, in just over 27 hours. Nyad first attempted to become the first person 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: \u201cNever ever give up.\u201d Nyad was inducted into the International Marathon Swimmer\u2019s Hall of Fame in 1978 and her story continues to inspire millions around the world.<\/pre>\n
 <\/p>\n
Version 4 \u2014 September 12, 2024
\n<\/em>City staff members make minor changes.<\/strong><\/p>\n
MARATHON SWIMMER DIANA NYAD [version 4<\/em>]<\/strong>\r\n\r\nAs a child growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Diana Nyad was a champion pool swimmer. She later trained at <\/strong>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 102.5 miles from Bimini in the Bahamas to Jupiter, Florida, in just over 27 hours. Nyad initially attempted<\/strong> to become the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida in 1978<\/strong>, failing after<\/strong> 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: \u201cNever ever give up.\u201d Nyad was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1978 and her story continues to inspire others around the world.<\/pre>\n
On January 15, 2025, I emailed Alissa Lotane, director of the Florida Division of Historical Resources, and Jeremy Heiker, asking for the current marker text. They sent a copy of version 4.<\/p>\n
I pointed out that it still had errors and asked who vetted the text. They replied, \u201cWe did. What are they? Please provide sources.\u201d I described the errors and provided sources<\/a>.<\/p>\n
A few days later, I asked what sources they’d used for vetting. They responded with Dr. Long\u2019s “Line by Line Verification of the Facts on the Marathon Swimmer Diana Nyad Historical Marker,”<\/a> a document that presents contradictory articles and personal stories as proof. I was dumbfounded that someone with \u201cDoctor\u201d in front of her name would call the document \u201cverification.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sent Heiker notes on Dr. Long\u2019s \u201cLine by Line Verification,\u201d<\/a> and I included sources \u2014 real ones, not stories about driving by Diana\u2019s old house. 
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
Version 5, February 14, 2025
\n<\/em>A response to \u201csome insight provided by a member of the public.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n
Feb 14, 12:40 PM<\/strong> \u2014 In a message to Trantalis, Wyman, and Zachary Eakins-Durand, the mayor\u2019s Community Outreach Director,<\/a> Heiker asked for more changes:<\/p>\n
Last April you approved text for a Florida Historical Marker regarding Diana Nyad\u2019s youth in Ft Lauderdale and her accomplishments. Due to some insight provided by a member of the public, some changes have been made to the text.<\/p>\n
These changes should not slow the production of the marker, but I wanted to make sure that you were aware of the changes and they are acceptable to you.<\/p>\n
I have attached a signable PDF. If you wish to return that, I would happily accept it, but if you just want to send me an email that says \u201cYes\u201d or \u201cNo\u201d that is good too.<\/p>\n
Thank you for your time and attention.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Feb 14, 12:49 PM<\/strong> \u2014Heiker\u2019s request puzzled Wyman:<\/a><\/p>\n
Debby, Trish [Logan, the City\u2019s Principal Urban Planner and Historic Preservation Board Liaison<\/em>] \u2013 Not quite sure what\u2019s going on here. But the state is wanting changes to the wording of the Diana Nyad historic marker. Can you review and see if it\u2019s OK or if there is anything here that we cannot accept?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
MARATHON SWIMMER DIANA NYAD [version 5<\/em>]<\/strong>\r\n\r\nAs 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 become the first person<\/span> to swim from Cuba to Florida in 1978<\/strong>, 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: \u201cNever ever give up.\u201d She was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1978, and her story continues to inspire others around the world. In 2015, Nyad published Find a Way, <\/em>a memoir about her life\u2019s journey which was adapted into the film\u00a0NYAD<\/em> in 2023.<\/pre>\n
On February 25, 2025, Mayor Trantalis signed version 5<\/a>, the version that Fort Lauderdale will likely unveil next month<\/a>. This final version is the only one that acknowledges what brought the Nyad marker back from the grave: NYAD<\/em>, the film ostensibly about “her life’s journey.” Unfortunately, the film \u2014 like the marker text \u2014 misses almost everything that’s fascinating and true about Diana Nyad.<\/p>\n
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NOTES ON CHANGES<\/h5>\n
Best or best-known?
\nVersion 2:<\/strong> \u201cBecame one of the best ocean swimmers in the world.\u201d
\nVersion 3\u20135:<\/strong> \u201cBecame one of the most renowned swimmers in the world\u201d<\/p>\n
How far is it from the Bahamas to Florida?
\nVersions 2\u20134:<\/strong> \u201cShe swam 102.5 miles from Bimini in the Bahamas to Jupiter, Florida.
\nVersion 5:<\/strong> \u201cShe swam from Bimini in the Bahamas to Florida.\u201d
\nIn her \u201cVerification of Facts,\u201d Dr. Long linked to one source<\/a> that gave 60 miles and 89 miles, and to other sources that repeat Nyad\u2019s 102.5 exaggeration.<\/p>\n
Walter Poenisch swam from Cuba to Florida before Nyad\u2019s first attempt, and the <\/strong>International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame doesn\u2019t induct for failed swims.
\nVersion 1:<\/strong> \u201cBut it was Nyad\u2019s first attempt to become the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida, a 42-hour endeavor in 1978, which secured her place in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.\u201d
\nVersion 5:<\/strong> \u201cNyad initially attempted to swim from Cuba to Florida in 1978.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Above:<\/strong> The marker Diana Nyad and her supporters want to parasitize. Ocean lifeguard Roland White Jr. told the Westside Gazette<\/a>: “Trying to ride the coat tail of the Black struggle to achieve the monumental change and injustice is a slap in the face of all people of color.<\/figcaption><\/figure>