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Ultra-endurance athlete completes 900-mile swim along entire California coast
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- Catherine Breed, a 33-year-old ultra-endurance athlete, completed a historic 900-mile swim down the entire California coast in 111 days, finishing at San Diego’s Coronado beach.
- Breed undertook the swim to test her endurance, celebrate California’s coast, promote environmental preservation, and encourage women and girls to engage with the ocean.
- She swam approximately 10 miles daily, supported by a shipboard team documenting the journey for the World Open Water Swimming Association, and streamed much of the swim on YouTube.
- The swim was challenged by extreme Super El Niño weather, including strong opposing currents, 7-foot waves, and polluted waters near the US-Mexico border, which Breed described as some of the dirtiest in the US.
- An experienced open water swimmer with multiple record-breaking swims, Breed emphasized respect and surrender to the ocean’s power throughout her journey.
