Catherine Breed finished her 900‑mile California coast swim in 111 days, averaging about 10 miles a day as she battled El Niño‑driven waves and a relentless Kelvin wave.
She kicked off on July 1 at the Oregon border, tackling the coast in 10‑mile bursts with a support vessel that slid alongside her, ferrying food, sleep, and a camera crew that captured every splash.
Mid‑journey, 7‑foot swells turned the water into a washing machine, and the final stretch near Imperial Beach exposed her to polluted waters, forcing her to swim against both tide and trash.
Before this, Breed had crossed the English Channel in 2018 and the North Channel in 2019, but the coast’s 900‑mile marathon dwarfed those runs, demanding a steady 3‑week rhythm and 111‑day endurance.
The swim, documented by the World Open Water Swimming Association, not only set a new benchmark for open‑water distance but also amplified her call for ocean conservation and women’s participation.
She now eyes a 1,000‑mile international circuit, hoping to inspire more women to take to the waves.