( CNN ) -- When it comes to living on the edge , there are some women who have the tenacious spirit to conquer all . Whether it 's scaling the world 's highest peaks or becoming the first person to cross a dangerous ocean stretch , these extreme sportswomen have smashed records around the globe thanks to their fearless sense of determination . On the heels of Diana Nyad 's record breaking swim , CNN takes a look at five sports stars who have reached the very top of their game . Diana Nyad . After 35 years and five attempts at swimming from Cuba to Florida , 64-year-old Diana Nyad has finally made her name as the first person to cross the treacherous Straits . Wearing a mask to protect her from the trip halting jellyfish bites that plagued her last effort , the endurance swimmer is the only person to complete the 177 km ( 100 m ) journey without either a wetsuit or a shark cage . Describing her achievement as ' a lifelong dream , ' Nyad , who made her first attempt to cross the waters in 1978 , was also congratulated by President Obama via Twitter . Read more : Nyad 's next challenge will be a 48 hour swim in New York City . Edurne Pasaban . As a keen young mountaineer , Edurne Pasaban made her hobby into a record breaking profession by becoming the world 's first woman to climb all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters . The 44-year-old Spaniard spent nine years working her way to the top of the world 's biggest summits before completing her quest in 2010 , and was named as National Geographic 's Adventurer of the Year in 2011 . With the likes of Everest , K2 and Kangchenjunga under her belt , Pasaban has seen some of the world 's most beautiful landscapes from a viewpoint only reached by a select few . Juliana Buhring . Guinness World record holder Juliana Buhring is the first and fastest woman to cycle the globe . Her epic journey took her across four continents and 19 countries in 152 days , racking up 29,065 km ( 18,060 miles ) in the process . The intrepid cyclist was also the sole female competitor in an unsupported race from London to Istanbul in 2013 , further demonstrating her record smashing prowess . Watch : Juliana Buhring 's tough moment . Felicity Aston . Adventurer Felicity Aston became the first woman to ski across Antarctica in 2012 -- a feat she achieved without the use of either kites or parasails . Covering 1744 km ( 1083 miles ) in 59 days , Aston 's solo expedition made a change from her group ventures , which have seen her lead teams across the likes of Greenland and the South Pole . Her upcoming mission will see her and two fellow explorers cross northern Europe and Siberia to reach the Pole of Cold -- a three month trip that will cover a whopping 30,000 km ( 18,641 miles ) . Read more : Adventurers recreate Antarctic survival story . Amber Bourke . Australian free diving champion Amber Bourke only discovered the sport a few years ago -- and yet she has already broken the women 's world record , just two years after she began competing . Diving to victory at the championships in Belgrade , Serbia , the former synchronized swimmer set a personal best at 164 m -- although her achievement was bettered just moments later by two fellow competitors . Able to hold her breath underwater for five minutes , Bourke has also beaten several national records in her home country .
Diana Nyad completed a landmark swim from Cuba to the Florida Straits this week . The 64-year-old had made five attempts to finish the trip since 1978 . CNN looks at five women who have broken world records in extreme sports .