Nyad says she was 8 years old when she first dreamed about the possibility of swimming across the Straits of Florida.

CNN: August 20, 2012 -- Updated 1157 GMT (1957 HKT)

Nyad's first attempt to cross the Straits of Florida was in 1978, when rocky seas left her battered, delirious and less than halfway toward her goal.

CNN: August 20, 2012 -- Updated 1157 GMT (1957 HKT)

Rumors of fish weighing up to 6 pounds more than the current world record (22.3 pounds) have drifted with the no-trade winds across the Straits of Florida.

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