Contact: Amy Blaisdell Communications Director City of Palm Springs (760) 323-8250 World Renowned Ocean Swimmer Diana Nyad Invites Community to Join Her for 24 Hour Non-stop Swim This Weekend at Palm Springs Swim Center! April 17, 2013 Calling all swimmers! You’re invited to do a few laps with world famous ocean swimmer Diana Nyad this weekend at the Palm Springs Swim Center as she begins a 24 hour continuous swim in preparation for her NYAD non-stop 48 hour swim event next month in New York City. Nyad’s 24 hour swim at the Palm Springs Swim Center, 405 S. Pavilion Way, will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 20 with completion slated for 6 p.m. the following day on Sunday, April 21. Nyad will dedicate the first and last hours of this weekend’s 24 hour non-stop swim to the good people of Boston and the Boston Marathon. “We, the citizens of the world, are grieving for our friends in Boston this week. To express solidarity among athletes, those who bravely ran that fabled Boston Marathon on Monday, our X-Treme Dream Team and I will be especially focused on their courage and their heartache during Hour One and Hour Twenty-Four this weekend,” said Nyad. “Come down to the Palm Springs Pool, swim a bit with me… or just hang out poolside, I’d love to see you all there!” The 24 hour continuous swim is in preparation for Nyad’s non-stop 48 hour swim event in New York City,” May 28-30. Just as hurricane season kicks off, Nyad will install a pool at the epicenter of New York’s Times Square and with Good Morning America as her live media partner, she will begin a 48 hour non-stop swim, with all kinds of New Yorkers in the lane next to her, including media personalities such as George Stephanopoulos. All proceeds from the event will go to Hurricane Sandy Relief. Nyad has captivated the world over the past few years through her heroic attempts to cross treacherous waters from Cuba to Florida. Deadly jellyfish, large predator sharks, the powerful Gulf Stream, rolling currents and the sheer 103-mile distance allowed Mother Nature to win out on each of her attempts despite her best efforts. For more information about this weekend’s event, call the Palm Springs Swim Center at (760) 323-8278. .