For many patients, a trip to the emergency department can be full of chaos and uncertainty. But not for motivational speaker Diana Nyad, who sees medical warriors and lifesavers.

“Every emergency room I’ve been in, I would say to myself, ‘If I went to war and I were lying on the ground in a triage situation in the jungle, that group that just dealt with me…that’s the group I want,’” she said.

Ms. Nyad is sure to inspire as the keynote speaker of ACEP16, when her opening session, set for 8 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 16, will tell her life story. In the 1970s, she was known for breaking long-distance swimming records. In 2013, at age 64, and on her fifth and final try, she fulfilled a lifetime dream by swimming 110 miles from Cuba to Florida.

The story may seem like one she’s told before. But she says she doesn’t script her address. She reads an audience and tries to tailor her approach, much like how an emergency physician might use humor with one patient and be serious with another.

“I don’t care what business you’re in. I don’t care if you’re a stockbroker wearing a $5,00 s0 suit in Manhattan or you’re an ER doctor in Las Vegas, we all have the desire to chase our dreams and get over our obstacles. And if we just don’t give up, we will get to that other shore.” —Diana Nyad

But her message remains as simple as it strong: Don’t give up. Ever.

“I don’t care what business you’re in,” Ms. Nyad said. “I don’t care if you’re a stockbroker wearing a $5,000 suit in Manhattan or you’re an ER doctor in Las Vegas, we all have the desire to chase our dreams and get over our obstacles. And if we just don’t give up, we will get to that other shore.”