SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Open-water swimmer Catherine Breed swam from the Farallon Islands to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, a chilly 30-mile journey through some of the Pacific Ocean’s most notorious great white shark territory.
Breed said she completed her 30.6-mile swim Tuesday in 13 hours, 54 minutes.
The Pleasanton native was assisted by an expert boat crew that followed Marathon Swimmers Federation rules: swimmers may not use a wetsuit and they can't touch the boat.
Breed, 32, said in an Instagram video, "My body was OK, but my mind was not in a great spot. It’s like the islands and the ocean gave me a perfect day but infiltrated my head with doubt. Of all the swims I have done, this one was the mentally hardest."
"Doubt is a really powerful negative emotion," the swimmer said. "I'm so glad I had a full team of people that believed in me. In your life, surround yourself with people like that."
Surfers ride stormy waves breaking by the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on Jan. 6, 2023. (AP Photo /Jeff Chiu)The 6-foot-tall ultra endurance athlete grew up competing for Amador Valley High School and UC Berkeley's swim teams in the 500, 1,000, and 1,650 freestyle. She is a world-record holder for the fastest female swim across Lake Tahoe.
Open water ocean swimming is a far different challenge. The Farallon Islands, also known as "Devil’s Teeth," are rocky and isolated.
"It wasn’t the distance that made this swim unique, it was all the other factors. The best time of year to swim it also happens to be during great white migration, the currents change quickly and dramatically. A good portion of the swim occurs in very deep dynamic water, " Breed wrote.
Jellyfish stung Breed's neck and arms early into the swim. "Everyone wants to know about the sharks. I got in the water ... and there was no fear about sharks. I wanted to see what dark, sharky waters felt like ... and it felt fine," she said.
"Usually you can sense them," she added.
Swimmer who went missing at Aquatic Park 'went to do what he loved the most'Every time Breed wanted to quit, her boat support crew mentally pushed her to keep going, she said.
US swimmer Catherine Breed competes in the final of the women's freestyle swimming event during the 2011 Pan American games in Mexico. (FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT/AFP via Getty Images)Breed was counting on a strong and favorable current that usually flows near San Francisco to help her reach the finish line Tuesday. The current, unfortunately, never materialized for the shivering swimmer.
"I felt like the city was moving away from me. I turned on this gear that I didn't know existed," she said. "I was swimming race pace for the last hour and a half."
Few swimmers have ever completed the 30-mile swim due to brutal and cold conditions. Breed became the 3rd-ever woman to do it.
"The Farallons swim is the epitome of wild," Breed said. "The ocean is both beautiful and humbling. Adventure still exists right here off our coast. The ocean belongs to everyone, and I want to inspire people --especially women and youth -- to believe that big things are possible, even when they seem wild or impossible."
Hence then, the article about woman swims from farallon islands to golden gate bridge during great white shark migration was published today ( ) and is available on KRON4 ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Woman swims from Farallon Islands to Golden Gate Bridge during great white shark migration )
Also on site :
- Disgraced former Centinela Valley schools Superintendent Jose Fernandez dies
- Gold Star Distribution Inc., Issues Recall of Certain FDA-Regulated Products in Three States Including Drugs, Devices, Cosmetics, Human Foods, and Pet Foods
- Tyler Perry Sued for Sexual Assault By New Accuser, an Actor in a ‘Madea’ Movie