Surf
In a tremendous 13-hour endeavor, Catherine Breed made history by becoming the fastest woman to ever swim across the Monterey Bay. Departing on Monday evening from Santa Cruz, Breed swam 25 miles through the night, finally finishing this monstrous distance swim on Tuesday morning. “I couldn’t wait to sit down. I enjoyed parts of it, but I was really happy to be on dry land,” said Breed.
During this epic athletic feat, Breed braved the cold waters of the Pacific (ranging between 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit) and even encountered a school of stinging jellyfish. Breaking the record for crossing the bay is undeniably impressive, but so is the mere fact that she even finished.
“There are five women who have done it before me. I thought about all the people who supported me along the way. I wasn’t going to quit.”
– Catherine Breed
Breed comes from a strong distance swimming background and was a Division 1 swimmer for Cal. In addition to completing her swim, Catherine Beed raised $2,000 dollars for Diversity in Aquatics, a nonprofit that teaches underserved populations to swim in an effort to reduce drownings.
All in all, Breed showed true grit and determination throughout her successful swim.
“I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen. I was going to be proud of myself either way. It’s a monster to cross Santa Cruz to Monterey. The cherry on top was breaking that record.”
– Catherine Breed
Way to go Catherine!
