Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Swimmer Passes Halfway Mark in Epic Quest Marathon swimmer Penny Palfrey, who is attempting to become the first person to swim from Cuba to the U.S. state of Florida without a shark cage, has passed the halfway mark in her quest. British-Australian woman, 49, completed 111 kilometers of the 166 kilometer journey Saturday. Palfrey expects her swim through the shark-infested Florida Straits to take between 40 and 50 hours. If she succeeds, Palfrey would break her own world record for the longest "unassisted ocean swim," which she set last year when she swam 109 kilometers without a shark cage or wetsuit in the Cayman Islands, south of Cuba. Palfrey's swim through the Florida Straits comes after 62-year-old U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad tried twice last year to make the trek without a cage, but was unsuccessful. Australian Susie Maroney swam the straits at age 22 in 1997, but she used a shark cage for protection. Instead of a cage, Palfrey is using equipment that emits an electrical field to keep the sharks away. She is being accompanied by a boat and support team. __________________________________________________________________ [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/marathon-swimmer-passes-halfway-mark- in-epic-quest/1352289.html References 1. http://www.voanews.com/content/marathon-swimmer-passes-halfway-mark-in-epic-quest/1352289.html