Hank G ☑️ on Nostr: Shelenn Ayres From what I've been reading it is a lot more complicated than that. ...

Shelenn Ayres (npub1t08…wqkp) From what I've been reading it is a lot more complicated than that. There were established rules for open water swims going back to early-20th century English Channels swims which described what "unassisted" meant. It was a big part of the "no touching" thing they made a big deal out of in the movie. But there are photos of her crew touching her during her swim. That also included the gear she was wearing as well to avoid the jellyfish stings. The History vs. Hollywood had a brief write up and a link to a sit heavily critical of Nyad for some of her prior behaviors including lying about her records/professional history repeatedly, and some slanderous statements against Walter Poenisch who completed the swim in 1978. He had his own problems with not registering his protocol, having observers, etc. as well. She knew what scrutiny these attempts have. It is somewhere between odd and a shame she didn't do the steps necessary to make sure it would pass documentation requirements. This isn't my sport so whether by definition of the people who care about it it is unassisted it might as well be as far as I'm concerned. Whether a teammate put vaseline on her skin or she wore a wet suit is besides the point for me in terms of the herculean effort. historyvshollywood.com/reelfac…