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Ultra-Swimmer Breed Conquers 900-Mile California Coast
20 Oct
Summary
- Athlete swam 900 miles down California coast in 111 days.
- Breed highlighted ocean pollution, swimming through dirty waters.
- Extreme weather, including strong currents, posed major challenges.
Ultra-endurance athlete Catherine Breed concluded her unprecedented 900-mile swim along the California coast on Monday, 111 days after beginning her journey. Breed, a native of the Bay Area, started her swim at the northern border of California on July 1st and finished at San Diego's Coronado beach.
Breed described the experience as measuring her world in "the next few miles," encountering "whales beneath me, plastic beside me." She planned the swim to test her endurance, celebrate the coast, and advocate for environmental preservation. Her daily routine involved swimming approximately 10 miles, supported by a shipboard team documenting the endeavor.
A significant challenge Breed faced was navigating the polluted waters near the US-Mexico border, which she described as "some of the dirtiest water in the United States." This contrasted with her fear of sharks, emphasizing that human-caused destruction is a greater threat to the ocean.
The swim occurred during a period of expected "Super El Niño" weather, bringing dangerous waves and strong currents that moved against her progress. Breed likened navigating 7ft waves to being in "a washing machine," highlighting the extreme conditions.
Breed's athletic background includes swimming the English Channel and the North Channel. She also holds a record for swimming the length of California's Lake Tahoe and was the first to swim from the Golden Gate Bridge to Half Moon Bay. Her philosophy in the ocean emphasizes "full surrender" and being present with whatever the sea offers.
