Surfer attempts to foster better ties

HAVANA — Armed with only a surfboard and paddle, US athlete Victoria Burgess on Tuesday began her attempt to cross the Florida Straits between the United States and Cuba, about 170 kilometers wide.

She has only 30 hours to cover the distance if she is to write her name into the Guinness World Records, but she said “failing is not in my plans”.

The 33-year-old surfer hopes that the feat can act as a beacon of friendship between the US and Cuba.

Though the two nations reestablished diplomatic relations in 2015 after more than half a century of silence, the arrival of US President Donald Trump to the White House has once again seen the relationship sour.

Despite having never spent more than seven hours on her board, Burgess is no stranger to competitive distance surfing, having previously taken part in the Molokai 2 Oahu and Maui 2 Molokai paddleboard races.

This will be her first attempt at a distance of this size, but her determination is unwavering.

The nutritionist and physical trainer calls her challenge “The Free Girl’s Crossing” and wants to “show women can do anything we set out minds to”.

“I want women to know their own strengths,” she said.

Women are too often unaware of their physical possibilities and frequently doubt their strengths, she added.

Preparations intensified in the weeks leading up to the crossing, with the her keen to be in peak physical condition. However, she pointed out that the psychological element is just as important as the physical.

“This is going to be the first female record of this type,” Burgess said to the press before setting off.

During the challenge, she will be accompanied by a support boat manned by a team of five, made up of family and friends. They will provide nutrition and ensure the surfer’s safety.

The crossing has been taken on by a number of athletes in a variety of ways. In 2013, US woman Diana Nyad, at the age of 64, became the first person to swim the Florida Straits from Cuba without a shark cage.

Now it is the turn of Victoria Burgess to try and make history.

DESMOND BOYLAN / ASSOCIATED PRESS Victoria Burgess paddles out to open sea at the beginning of her attempt to cross the Florida Straits at Hemingway Marina in Havana, Cuba, on Tuesday.