American swimmer Catherine Breed has become the first person in history to swim the entire California coastline, from the Oregon border to Mexico. The athlete covered more than 1,400 kilometers in 111 days, infohub.kz reports.
She started on July 1 at the Oregon-California border and finished on October 19. Breed had initially planned to swim 16 kilometers a day and complete the feat in three months. However, the El Niño climate phenomenon brought tropical storms and headwinds to the region that sharply slowed her progress. Waves more than two meters high forced her to swim in conditions that, she said, felt like being inside a washing machine.
The route held other serious dangers as well: along the way, Breed encountered sharks in open water eight times. At the same time, she swam alongside whales, dolphins and sea lions, and during rare short stops on land she gave lectures on ocean conservation. To avoid the polluted waters at the mouth of the Tijuana River, she had to cover the final stretch near the Mexican border about five kilometers offshore.
Catherine Breed had already conquered the English Channel and the North Channel, and had also swum from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallon Islands. Preparation for the record-setting route along California took three years. The athlete said she undertook the swim to inspire others, especially women and girls, to pursue incredible goals.