KEY WEST, Fla. —  American 64-year-old long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad on Monday, Sept. 2, became the first person to swim across the Florida Straits from Cuba without a shark cage, succeeding on her fifth attempt at the feat.

Her face sunburned and lips swollen, with barely enough energy to speak, Nyad waded ashore at Key West after a 53-hour swim and delivered a simple message to onlookers: “We should never, ever give up …. You never are too old to chase your dreams.”

Nyad completed the estimated 110-mile (177-km) journey after departing from Havana on Saturday morning. She set a record for the longest ocean swim without a shark cage or flippers, according to her crew.

She was met by crowds in Key West who surrounded her, snapping photos, as they enjoyed sunny beach weather on the annual Labor Day holiday.

With Key West in her sights on Monday Nyad halted briefly about 2 miles offshore to thank her support team.

“This is a lifelong dream of mine and I’m very, very glad to be with you,” she said, according to her website. “So let’s get going so we can have a whopping party.”