Diana Nyad, 64, has become the first person to swim the strait between Florida and Cuba without a shark cage.

The 103 mile swim took her 53 hours with only a brief stop two minutes from the shore to thank her support team that had made the journey in an accompanying boat.

The shark infested waters through which Diana Nyad swam to reach Florida

This was her fourth attempt in the past 3 years to accomplish the treacherous swim as shoulder pain and jellyfish stings caused her to end her previous attempts prematurely.

Upon reaching the shore, Nyad had this to say, "I have three messages. One is, we should never, ever give up. Two is, you're never too old to chase your dream. Three is, it looks like a solitary sport, but it is a team".

She was later taken to hospital for a brief check-up but was discharged with only minor sunburn and dehydration. 

Congratulations to @DianaNyad. Never give up on your dreams.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 2, 2013