Catherine Breed will begin swimming the California coastline in July after training and hosting an April 26 meet-and-greet at the Coggan Family pool.
Aligning preservation with prowess, Catherine Breed of Mill Valley will attempt to swim the entire length of California’s roughly 900-mile coastline.
Breed plans to begin the journey, called “Swim California,” at the Oregon border and proceed south to Mexico, swimming about five hours and 10 to 15 miles a day while her support team awaits on a 52-foot Beneteau boat.
Image courtesy of Catherine Breed
If Breed, 33, succeeds, it’ll take her about four months and will be the first known completion of the feat.
Until then, Breed is training often throughout California and hosting meet-and-greets, including one in La Jolla at 2:30 pm Sunday, April 26 at the Coggan Family Aquatic Complex.
Image courtesy of Catherine Breed
“Come out and hear about this crazy lady swimming the coast,” Breed said.
The event is planned to raise awareness for Breed’s mission and inspire others; Wildcoast has been invited to share its nonprofit work on marine ecosystem preservation.
Breed, who works in medical device sales, has been planning Swim California for about three years, wanting to “storytell through sport the people, places and problems along our coastline,” she said.
Swim California is also engaging with local nonprofits along the way to raise excitement about ocean conservation, Breed added.
Spotlighting environmental issues through physical activity is a natural connection for Breed, who spent her childhood sailing.
“This ocean is my happy place,” she said.
A marathon open water swimmer who has set seven open water records since 2017, Breed found “using athleticism is a way to amplify your voice,” she said.
In planning Swim California, Breed founded the nonprofit Sea Dreamers, aimed at encouraging more women and girls into the ocean.
The nonprofit – and Swim California – attempt to answer Breed’s question of how to use recreational ocean use to empower more volunteerism and ocean activism, she said.
Image courtesy of Catherine Breed
“If you learn about … scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, swimming, surfing, you fall in love with it,” Breed said. “You’re going to fight to protect it.”
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