Catherine Breed stepped into the Pacific Ocean at the Oregon-California border on July 1.
End goal: Mexico.
Breed is in the middle of a 900-mile “Swim California,” an open water adventure spanning the entire coast of California.
She is swimming in stages and has done more than 500 miles of the swim at last report on Sept. 8.
According to the World Open Water Swimming Association, Breed crossed Monterey Bay ahead of schedule and arrived at Hopkins Marine Station on Aug. 25.
Breed, 33, grew up in Mill Valley, California, and swam competitively at Cal before moving into long solo swims, including crossings of Monterey Bay and the Golden Gate to Half Moon Bay, along with an English Channel swim.
If she completes the full 900 miles, she’ll be the first person to swim the length of the California coast.
The attempt exists because of Sea Dreamers, the nonprofit Breed founded to connect women to the ocean through adventure, education, and community, and to build environmental stewardship along the way.
Breed has planned stops where she and her team meet with local conservation groups.
The boat is also what ties the whole thing together as one swim. GPS waypoints preserve the route between stages, and observers document what happened at each one, so hundreds of individual entries and exits add up to a single connected line down the coast.
“Grit is my superpower, but you cannot do hard things alone,” Breed said. “This isn’t just about swimming. It’s about listening, learning, and sharing the stories of the people and places that depend on a healthy ocean.”
According to WOWSA, Breed reached Pacific Grove on Aug. 25 after crossing the bay, placing her 455 miles into the route and roughly 10 days ahead of the original schedule, aided by favorable currents and several longer swimming days. By the September 8 tracker update, she had passed the 500-mile mark and progressed along the exposed Big Sur coast, where limited harbors and changing sea state make logistics as important as speed.
RATIFICATION STATUS
Swim California is currently under review for potential WOWSA ratification. Observer logs and supporting documentation are being collected as the expedition progresses; a ratification decision will not be made until the swim is complete and the full record has been submitted and reviewed. This article reflects reporting on the expedition’s progress and does not constitute a ratification determination.