Diana Nyad
Diana Nyad is an outstanding example of what can be achieved when we remain determined, conquer our self-doubt, and push through the difficulties of the task at hand. Diana Nyad is an American journalist, author, motivational speaker, and long distance swimmer. At one point, she was also ranked as the 13th top player in women’s squash. She has gained national attention numerous times for her long-distance swimming. The most notable instance where she received this recognition was when she became the first person in the world to swim from Cuba to Florida, which is a distance of 180km. Furthermore, she swam that distance with no shark cage to protect her from all the sea predators at the age of 64. However, she only managed to set this record on her fifth try. This means that she failed four times prior to having achieved this milestone. After each attempt, she re-grouped and consulted her team on what she could do better until she reached her goal. Nyad’s relentlessness was indeed the best way to conquer this challenge and still remains the surest formula to achieve success.
During her ted talk, she talks a lot about her team, how much they supported her in this task, and how her success is not only her own. College can be an uphill task for anyone as it presents several challenges. These challenges can include work overload, time management, social problems, partying, homesickness, and depression. For this reason, it is vital to have a support system that can help one navigate the hardships of college. If I were to build a support system to help me get through college, it would involve several people with different capabilities and insights, just as Nyad had in her team. When asked about her team, she said, “Yes, I have a team. And the team is expert, and the team is courageous, and brimming with innovation and scientific discovery, as is true with any major expedition on the planet” ().
Many people often say that God could not be everywhere, which is why he created mothers. My mother has always been my provider, protector, and motivator when I needed it. Whenever I had an issue, I could always trust her with it, and she would advise me in the best way possible. For this reason, she would be the first person on my support team, not to mention she will be largely responsible for my tuition fees. Going to college often represents growing up, having the freedom to find yourself, as well as openly expressing who you are to the world, and finding your tribe. For this reason, reliance on my parents will have to be more limited than before to allow me to achieve all the milestones, as mentioned earlier. However, their support will be crucial when I experience homesickness, which is one of the most common issues faced by freshmen.
For my team to be efficient, I will need someone who has conquered the milestone I am trying to achieve. Luckily for me, several people conquered my milestone before, a fact that gives me much joy since I know it is possible. In this case, I plan to have my best cousin as a part of my team. He is just a few years older than me, graduated from college a while back with a law degree, and is now a board-certified lawyer. Above all else, I think that he will be good for my team because he is very kind, driven, and has always expressed that he wants the best for me. During his college years, he had an especially difficult time navigating college since he had to study and work for his upkeep. However, he managed to push through all the challenges he faced and, for that reason, will be able to help me navigate through the problems I am anticipating.
Finally, success is near impossible if we surround ourselves with people who bring us down. The last people on my team will have to be in the same age group as I am. I feel that this is crucial because people around the same age group tend to think the same and are therefore more likely to understand each other than people of different age groups. Besides, I will need people with who I can speak to and interact face to face. For this reason, I intend to make at least two friends who share my values, I can trust with my information, and who will have my best interests at heart. Because it may take some time to do this, I intend to have regular calls with my best friend, who will also be away at college for her first time. Before we can gain our bearings while away, we will have to be there for each other just as we have been for years.