(AP)
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Endurance swimmer Penny Palfrey crossed the halfway mark today as she pushed through the Florida Straits, enduring jellyfish stings but otherwise encountering perfect conditions in her attempt to become the first woman to swim unassisted more than 100 miles from Cuba to Florida. A GPS tracking device on Palfrey's support boat a few meters away from the swimmer shows she reached the halfway point near midday, according to her website.
Palfrey was swimming steady and strong and reported no physical complaints. She had finished 69 miles around 3 p.m. today, breaking her personal best when she swam 67 miles between Little Cayman and Grand Cayman islands last year, according to crew member Andrea Woodburn. Palfrey reapplied sunscreen and grease to prevent chafing and said the water conditions had been excellent other than the extreme heat. She is "alert and swimming physically strong," Woodburn said, adding that the bathwater-warm waters remained calm. "It couldn't be better for her."
