Catherine Breed completed a never-before-attempted 900-mile open-water swim along the entire California coast on Sunday.
The 33-year-old, record-setting marathon swimmer from Mill Valley battled chilly, unpredictable Pacific waters for four months. She began the unprecedented expedition at the Oregon border on July 1, and expected to reach Mexican waters in November. Breed finished ahead of schedule.
"For months, I measured my world in the next few miles," Breed said. "Every message from someone following along, every person who came out to cheer, helped me get back in the water."
Along the way, Breed swam past the Golden Gate Bridge, the kelp forests of the Monterey Bay and around Point Conception near Santa Barbara, averaging more than 10 miles a day through notoriously rugged waters. Fans following along on social media and gathering at meeting points celebrated each stroke.
The marathon swim project, dubbed "Swim California," was a complex team operation. In the water, a pacer tossed Breed protein shakes in a thermos for sustenance. Breed and the crew accompanying her in a 52-foot sailboat made land each night before returning to the spot she left off. At times, they were forced to wait for suitable weather to advance through the coast's most remote stretches.
Breed swam competitively at the University of California, Berkeley before tackling long distances including a 60-mile stretch across Lake Tahoe and a record-breaking swim from San Francisco to the Farallon Islands.
She was motivated by her love of the Pacific coast to leave a career in medical technology sales and found Sea Dreamers, a nonprofit that creates opportunities for people to experience the ocean and protect it.
"I saw whales beneath me, plastic beside me, and communities giving their time to look after these places," Breed said. "I hope people who followed this journey choose one place they love and find a way to take care of it."
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There’s more to San Francisco with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Mill Valley swimmer completes unprecedented 900-mile swim down California coast.