Catherine Breed Completes 1,000-Mile California Coast Swim in 111 Days
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Oct 24
Catherine Breed Completes 1,000-Mile California Coast Swim in 111 Days
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 24
Summary
San Diego marked the finish of Catherine Breed’s 111-day swim from California’s northern tip to the Mexican border, making the 33-year-old the first person to complete the full coastline.
Historic super El Niño conditions turned the Pacific against her route, forcing Breed and her support crew to dodge hurricanes, 6-8ft waves and reverse some daily segments to work with shifting currents.
A 52ft sailboat and tender accompanied her through the nearly 1,000-mile effort, with shark sightings prompting rapid exits from the water, though Breed said sewage pollution near Imperial Beach worried her more.
Breed joins a small circle of ultra-endurance swimmers pushing coastline records, after earlier channel crossings in 2018 and 2019 and amid similar feats around Ireland, Iceland and New Zealand.