Is Bonnie Stoll Diana Nyad's wife, coach, or friend?
Bonnie Stoll is not Diana Nyad's legal wife, but they share their life together. Bonnie is Diana's best friend and business partner who famously coached her during her 2013 historic swim from Cuba to Florida. In a 2024 appearance on FOX 11 News, Nyad said of Stoll:
Every time I breathed to the left during the swim, I saw Bonnie. She makes the toughest decisions and helps me get my grit back whenever I lose my way. It has almost been a lifetime of us being by each other's side.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Diana Nyad and Bonnie Stoll's profile summary
- Diana Nyad's wife: A look at her love life
- Bonnie Stoll first "spotted" Diana Nyad on a television segment
- They are among the few athlete/coach pairs who have ever switched roles in sports history
- Diana considers Bonnie the "Alpha dog" in their friendship
- Bonnie hopes Nyad helps people realise the importance of friendship
- Diana and Bonnie have matching ink
- Conclusion
Key takeaways
- Diana Nyad gained notoriety in 1975 when she swam around Manhattan (28 miles) in record time.
- In 1984, Bonnie was ranked third in the world among professional racquetball players.
- The pair has been friends for about 46 years, having first met in April 1980.
- Their friendship was highlighted in the 2023 biographical sports film Nyad.
Diana Nyad and Bonnie Stoll's profile summary
Full name | Diana Nyad | Bonnie Sue Stoll |
Date of birth | 22 August 1949 | 10 June 1952 |
Age | 76 years old (As of April 2026) | 73 years old (As of April 2026) |
Birthplace | New York City, USA | Stamford, Connecticut, USA |
Nationality | American | American |
Marital status | Unmarried | Unmarried |
Parents | Lucy Winslow Curtis and William Sneed | Herbert and Lila Stoll |
Profession | Swimmer, journalist, author | Athlete, businesswoman |
Social media |
Diana Nyad's wife: A look at her love life
Diana is unmarried. Her most significant personal and professional relationship is with Bonnie Stoll, whom she considers "the soldier who will never leave me".
Although the pair briefly dated decades ago, they realised they were better suited as friends. Speaking with The Guardian in 2023, Bonnie shared details about their relationship, saying:
We were better at just being two golden retrievers running around together, instead of lovers.
During an interview with Elex Michaelson and Araksya Karapetyan, Stoll spoke highly of Nyad, revealing:
Amazingly, my best friend is the person who inspires me the most in life. I hope people can learn about the importance of loyalty through our friendship.
Source: Original
Bonnie Stoll first "spotted" Diana Nyad on a television segment
In a chat with Digital Spy in November 2023, Bonnie narrated how she met Diana through racquetball, stating:
I first saw Diana on the Johnny Carson Show, and thought, "She is pretty cool, I might be friends with her."
The pair first met when Nyad asked Stoll to help her improve at racquetball. According to City Lifestyle, the latter said of their early friendship days:
Diana started coming over, and we soon became like two Labradors working out together. This evolved into a trust between us that has never been broken. To have her as a best friend has been an advantage in life.
They are among the few athlete/coach pairs who have ever switched roles in sports history
Diana was Bonnie's fitness coach and training partner at the time when her professional racquetball career was at its peak. Three decades later, when Nyad decided to revive her open water swimming career, Stoll became her head coach and handler. Bonnie told Digital Spy:
Diana and I bring out the best in each other when we are together. I have learned a lot from her, and I am certain she has learned a lot from me, too.
Source: Getty Images
In 2013, at age 64, Diana swam 110 miles from Havana, Cuba, to Key West, Florida, without a shark cage. In a 2023 interview with NBC News, she attributed Bonnie's support to her win, saying:
Initially, Bonnie was reluctant about my quest because I once almost died from a jellyfish sting. However, she later made the selfless decision to be by my side despite the risks, rather than be part of the reason I never achieved my life's desire.
Diana considers Bonnie the "Alpha dog" in their friendship
On 3 July 2023, Diana took to Instagram to celebrate Bonnie's inclusion in Sally Jenkins' The Right Call. The book details the life lessons of many influential coaches. Nyad wrote:
Bonnie is the leader, but in the public eye, I am the face and voice. So, she is sometimes cast as "the sidekick. It is particularly gratifying that this book offers a chapter about my friend, whom I will forever be proud of.
Bonnie hopes Nyad helps people realise the importance of friendship
Source: Getty Images
Nyad highlights Diana's multiple attempts in the 2010s to swim the Strait of Florida, as well as a glimpse of her friendship with Stoll. The latter told Digital Spy of the film:
The first time I watched it, I honestly thought I was watching myself.
Speaking with NBC News, director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi shared that the film's main theme was Diana and Bonnie's platonic relationship.
The focus was on the hurdles Diana faced and how Bonnie's support and friendship helped her overcome them.
Diana and Bonnie have matching ink
Diana has the Japanese phrase Ishin-denshin tattooed on her leg, while Bonnie has the same on her wrist. In a 2023 one-on-one with Oprah Winfrey, Nyad revealed that the art translates to heart-to-heart or mind-to-mind communication.
Source: Getty Images
She explained that the tattoos symbolise their ability to communicate without speaking. According to City Lifestyle, Stoll's niece once commented on her aunt's friendship with Nyad, saying:
Their relationship is one of the strongest I have ever seen. Diana lives by the mantra to never give up, while Bonnie is the logical voice of reason. Together, they are unstoppable.
Conclusion
Bonnie Stoll is not Diana Nyad's wife, but they share their life together. Diana has stated that Bonnie is her girlfriend, her best friend, coach, and business partner.
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Proofreading by Rianette Cluley, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
