Dream Big

Diana Nyad is one of the greatest long distance swimmers in the world.  In 1979 she swam 102.5 miles from the Bahamas to Florida.  She has broken many world records, including circling the island of Manhattan in 7hrs and 57 minutes.  In October of 2011, Diana spoke at TED.  She began her speech discussing how she had watched most of her life pass her by.  She became so lost in negative thoughts over the years about career moves and why did this happen to me, that before she knew it life had passed her by.  Her mom died at the age of 82 and she thought, I have 22 more years left to live in the present. 

She decided that now was the time to chase a life long dream.  It was such a big dream, that she had to face it with utter conviction and unwavering passion.  She decided that she was going to swim from Cuba to Florida.  It would take 60 -70 hours to swim these waters.  Some of the possible dangers that she could face were sharks, hypothermia, jellyfish and the Gulf Stream.  Now as if these dangers weren’t enough of a challenge, I should also mention that she had not swam in 31 years.  Even with all of these challenges Diana pursued her dream of swimming from Cuba to Florida.  She began her rigorous training regiment.  She would swim for 15 hours a day.  If when she came in from swimming and the time was 14 hours and 58 minutes, she would swim for another 2 minutes. 

Finally, the day arrived, the day she had been training so hard for the past two years.  She was ready both physically and mentally. The bathing cap was so tight and pulled over her ears so she would not get hypothermia.  As she began her swim, she describes the it as being completely alone with your thoughts.  To mentally work through the swim she would count first in English then German then Spanish and then French.  After counting she would go through her playlist in her head which consisted of 65 songs.  Then she began to think about Stephen Hawkings “The Grand Design” and ask herself is there and edge of the universe?

Diana describes swimming as encompassing all of life’s obstacles.  She had worked through the pain and suffering but encountered a huge obstacle the box jellyfish.  She had been stung several times, it was the most excruciating pain she had ever felt.  It felt like hot oil all over your skin then paralysis would start in the back and the chest, then convulsions.  It affected the respiratory system severely.  The EMT on staff jumped in the water to assist her and he was stung so severely that he could not help her.  A medical team was flown in to assist and gave her oxygen, prednisone and Xanax.  She swam the next day and the next night and was stung yet again.  After 41 hours of swimming she could no longer swim and her dreams were crushed.

The one thing Diana stresses is, of moments of big disappointments how do you find grace in defeat?  She looked back on her journey and she felt proud and courageous of what she had accomplished.  She said that as long as the ocean is still there she can swim from Cuba to Florida and she will.  She left her audience with a paraphrase from poet Mary Oliver “So what is it you’re doing with this one wild and precious life of yours?”  There are many times in life when we feel defeated and deflated.  It is how we handle those moments and move forward that makes us the people we are today.  If a person gives up completely after defeat, they will watch their life pass them by.  Each time you dust yourself off and move forward with unwavering passion and utter conviction you come one step closer to reaching your dreams.

The NCAA's Influence

The National Collegiate Athletes Association is very influential on basketball within universities and colleges in the United States.  Many athletes playing basketball in college do so because they love the game.  Others play because they are an excellent basketball player and have received a scholarship to play basketball for their college.  The National Collegiate Athletes Association is very influential when it comes to college scholarships.  The NCAA focuses their attention on all types of athletes.  They assist the athletes who want to pursue a professional career in basketball and they also assist the athlete whose attention is on their academic studies.

The NCAA operates with the athlete’s best interest in mind. A recent proposal was brought before the committee to change the lines on the court for Men’s basketball games.  The NCAA presented the recommendation to its members and came to a decision by encompassing all factors for these athletes.  The NCAA also encourages athletes to become involved in community service.  Many collegiate basketball players have become affiliated with great organizations, and eventually go on to work for them after graduation.  Many of these athletes have created their own foundations as a way to give back to their community. 

The final way the NCAA is influential on college basketball is in the conduct of the players.  The NCAA believes strongly that athletes should conduct themselves with the utmost integrity.  Influential speaker, John Maxwell believes that Integrity is one of the most important qualities a leader can possess.  The NCAA encourages not only collegiate basketball players but also other college athletes to “practice principles such as fair play, spiritual uplift techniques and balancing the needs of the person toward sports with the needs of gaining a good education.”  The NCAA wants to not only produce gifted athletes, but athletes who can be role models to younger generations.

Reference: NCAA Influence on Basketball