From the Farallones to Santa Barbara, Catherine Breed Keeps Swimming

Catherine Breed drew a crowd of about 120 Santa Barbarans on September 24 as she prepared to continue her 900-mile swim down the California coast. The marathon swimmer arrived in the harbor after earlier covering the day’s leg, greeting the audience outside the Museum of Natural History’s Sea Center in Santa Barbara. Her goal is to become the first person to swim the entire length of California, which she describes as a “love letter” to the coast rather than a test of strength. Breed documents her progress through daily swims and posts on social media, partnering with local environmental groups and teaming with Santa Barbara Channelkeeper. She competed for UC Berkeley for four years and was introduced to open-water swimming through San Francisco’s Dolphin’s Club in 2016, later completing her first marathon swim—a 21-mile Lake Tahoe crossing—in 2017. She then tackled multiple iconic long swims, including the English Channel and the North Channel, and in 2020 completed a 30-mile leg from the Farallon Islands toward the Golden Gate Bridge after doubts, supported by her crew.