In 1998, Australian Susie Maroney set a world record when she did this for 38 hours and 33 minutes. What did she do, and where did she do it?

In 1998, Australian marathon swimmer Susie Maroney made headlines when she completed an astounding feat of endurance, swimming for 38 hours and 33 minutes straight across the Yucatan Straits. Her incredible journey covered approximately 197 kilometers (122 miles) from Isla Mujeres, Mexico, to Las Tumbas, on the western end of Cuba. This monumental swim established a world record at the time for the longest nonstop ocean swim by a woman, and the longest distance swum without flippers in the open sea.

Maroney's swim was not without its challenges. To protect herself from the abundant marine life, including sharks and jellyfish, she swam within a protective shark cage and wore a special Lycra stinger suit. This added an extra layer of difficulty due to the drag created by the cage. Her achievement was even more remarkable considering she was born with cerebral palsy, a fact she kept private for many years.

This epic swim from Mexico to Cuba was another milestone in Maroney's distinguished career. The previous year, in 1997, she became the first woman to successfully swim from Cuba to Florida, also utilizing a shark cage. Her incredible dedication and numerous record-breaking swims earned her an induction into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. Following her historic Mexico-to-Cuba crossing, she even had the unique opportunity to dine with Cuban President Fidel Castro, who lauded her extraordinary accomplishment.