Sharks, Jellyfish and Monkeys

So what was a sensible woman like Susie Maroney doing out there in the Florida Straits amid the sharks and jellyfish? Concentrating, really hard. In becoming the first woman to swim the 118 miles from Cuba to Florida, the 22-year-old Australian overcame nausea and hallucinations of monkeys by running Madonna songs and “Seinfeld” episodes through her mind. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Her feat, which ended after 24 1/2 hours in the drink, got only a minute or so on network news and was no threat to bump the NBA playoffs off the sports page. She was, you could say, drowned out by exploits around the hoop and on the diamond. But that doesn’t detract from her herculean accomplishment.

This was Maroney’s second try at the Florida Straits. Last year she gave up 12 miles short of the Florida shore due to--what else?--seasickness and dehydration. Maroney has swum the English Channel twice. She holds the women’s record for the longest distance covered without the aid of ocean currents--58.5 miles in a swimming pool. To appreciate that, try one mile at your local plunge. Susie Maroney, our swim caps are off to you.