With a team of scientists on her side, Australian Chloe McCardel set out to become the first person to make the 166-km swim between Cuba and the Florida Keys without a shark cage to protect her.
The treacherous body of water known as the Florida Straits is the Holy Grail for marathon swimmers and has been conquered only once, by Susie Maroney, also Australian, who used a protective cage at age 22 during her 1997 swim that glided on ocean currents and enabled her to make the journey in just 25 hours.
Since 2011, four unsuccessful, uncaged swims have been attempted, three by American Diana Nyad and one by Australian Penny Palfrey, and in all, 20 people have tried and failed, McCardel said in a press conference on Tuesday at the Hemingway Marina west of Havana.
“It’s the hardest marathon swim in the entire world,” the blond, well-tanned 28-year-old told reporters.
“This is like winning a World Cup in soccer or getting a world record and a gold medal at the Olympic Games, but it’s possibly harder because no one has been able to do it,” said McCardel.