Catherine Breed, a 33-year-old swimmer and ocean conservation advocate from California, has begun an ambitious swim from the Oregon border to Mexico, covering approximately 900 miles along the state's coastline. If successful, Breed will be the first person in history to complete such a swim.
Breed commenced her north-to-south journey on July 1, with her team estimating a completion time of three to four months. Her progress is being documented on her Swim California website, which also details the mission of her ocean conservation nonprofit, Sea Dreamers. The swim can also be viewed via a YouTube livestream through Allez! Sports and Zero Six Zero.
Breed, a former competitive swimmer for U.C. Berkeley and the U.S. National Team, has previously completed long-distance swims including across Lake Tahoe, Monterey Bay, and the English Channel. Her current challenge, which has been in planning for three years, involves swimming an average of 10 to 15 miles per day, spending five hours in the water daily.
She is accompanied by a 52-foot Beneteau sailboat serving as her primary support vessel, complete with a small crew. Breed wears a wetsuit to protect herself from the elements and marine life. She has stated that she anticipates weather-related challenges, such as high winds and choppy waters, to be her biggest hurdles, downplaying concerns about sharks.
The overarching goal of Breed's swim is to promote ocean conservation. "We have to protect this place," Breed stated on her website, emphasizing action, education, and inclusion as pathways to conservation. She hopes her efforts will inspire individuals to become more actively involved in protecting marine environments. "The bigger reason, the why that’s greater than myself, is to tell a story of the coast, to raise awareness for the people, places, the problems, ocean conservation issues happening in our very own backyard," she said.