Woman speaks out after swimming nearly 900-mile California coast
Catherine Breed is opening up after she swam the entirety of the California coast, a feat she believes makes her the first person to do so.
"I grew up on this coastline. I love California. I love the ocean so much," Breed, an ultra endurance athlete, told ABC News' Danny New of her motivation to pursue the feat.
Breed completed the nearly 900-mile expedition on Monday after 111 days. She started her epic journey in July from Oregon with a crew and two boats following her.
Along the way, Breed shared her adventure with social media followers. She said she had to contend with various dangers such as storms like Hurricane Rachel earlier this month, strong winds, high waves, current changes, sharks,and pollution like balloons off the coast of Los Angeles.
"It was almost like I couldn't win some days," Breed said.
On calmer days, however, Breed said she had the opportunity to swim with friendlier ocean occupants, from dolphins and whales to sea lions.
Breed also took rest days throughout her long-distance swim and organized and spoke with ocean conservation groups along the coast.
Breed was met with cheers from family and friends, who waited for her along the beach off Coronado, near the southern California and Mexico border, when she crossed a finish line.
In an Instagram post recapping her achievement, long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad commented, "Epic inspiration, Cat!!!!!"
