MIDDLEBURY, Vt. (AP) - Middlebury College graduates are hearing from long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad, who last year- at age 64 - swam 110 miles from Cuba to Florida.
Nyad will speak at the college commencement on Sunday.
Middlebury College President Ron Liebowitz says “Diana Nyad is a bold and fearless athlete whose determination is truly inspiring. “
Nyad’s 53-hour journey, her fifth attempt, included no shark cage or flippers. She had tried three times in 2011 and 2012, with her first attempt being in 1978.
Nyad and five other men and women will receive honorary degrees from Middlebury. The others include Carl Douglas, an underwater explorer; Angélique Kidjo, a Grammy Award-winning artist and advocate for social justice; and Richard Levin, president emeritus of Yale University.
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