“Nyad,” a gripping and inspiring documentary that made waves when it premiered, chronicles the remarkable journey of Diana Nyad, an extraordinary long-distance swimmer, and her relentless pursuit to achieve the seemingly impossible.

Nyad, played by Annette Benning, has given up competitive swimming in favor of a less physical career as a sports journalist, but the call of the wild swim is more enticing, leading her to decide to finish the longtime goal. Prepare for a surprise as we plunge into the frigid water to determine whether Nyad is based on a true story.

In this article, we delve into the story behind the documentary and explore the real-life achievements and struggles of Diana Nyad.

What is Nyad About?

Essentially, the film is about Nyad’s effort to complete the risky sixty-hour swim despite having failed it once before when she was a lot younger, twenty-eight years old.

Despite being advised against the work, she is determined to complete it, stating, “The only one who gets to decide if I’m through is me.”

It is a victory over adversity story with a major protagonist who is older than most in films of this type. Along with Benning in the title role, Jodie Foster plays her companion in the film, and the film was directed by couple Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, who would win an Academy Award for their documentary Free Solo, so there is a lot of top-tier talent on board for this production.

Is Nyad Based on a True Story?

Yes, Nyad is based on a true story; however, there is some debate about the film. Vasarhelyi and her co-director and husband, Jimmy Chin, have previously primarily focused on documentary filmmaking, with Free Solo and The Rescue among their more well-known films.

She did, however, add that when they received the script for this film, which was adapted by Julia Cox from Nyad’s own book Find a Way, they both thought it was time to go into narrative dramatic films.

“Jimmy and I love stories about people who push the boundaries of what’s possible,” she said. “And when we read the script for Nyad, we both thought, Diana Nyad is exactly that.”

“It’s also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create two rich roles for some spectacular female actresses.” So I believe it was that, and I believe we’d made a number of documentaries, and I was intrigued by how conveying a genuine story would convert into narrative fiction. It’s always good to discover yourself growing creatively, and this was an excellent opportunity to do so.”

The film’s most remarkable use of visual effects occurs when Diana has hallucinations underwater after becoming delirious during the swim, which include the yellow brick road from The Wizard of Oz.

And, while this section of the film may appear less realistic, it is nevertheless heavily based on Nyad’s testimony. “Those two hallucinations are based on real hallucinations Diana Nyad had,” Vasarhelyi said.

Read More: Is Emancipation Based on a True Story?

Most people assumed the epic 110-mile swim would be out of reach for her, but after multiple failed efforts, including a brush with a potentially lethal box jellyfish, she reached her objective in 2013 after 53 hours of continuous swimming.

Although some have questioned Nyad’s claims, partially due to a dramatic increase in her speed around 31 hours into the swim, she and her team have always stated that it was done in a “squeaky-clean, ethical fashion.”