Catherine Breed is the first person to swim the length of California

Catherine Breed, 33, became the first person to swim the length of California, the Los Angeles Times reported on October 21, 2026. She entered the water at the Oregon border in July and, 111 days later, crossed the latitude of the Mexico line. The route was roughly 900 miles. She finished the official crossing about three miles offshore, to stay clear of pollution from the Tijuana River, then swam in to a celebration at Coronado Beach on Monday. She told the Times she felt proud of the team, and relieved that it was done.

Breed grew up in Pleasanton and swam at UC Berkeley until knee injuries ended her college racing. On this trip she lived aboard the Catalyst, a 52-foot sailboat, with a crew that watched wind, currents, and the next set of coordinates. Some days she swam segments from south to north so she was not fighting the water. Jellyfish were not a problem. Dolphins and sea lions were. Sharks were spotted from far enough off that she said they were not part of the swim. Asked whether anyone else should try it, she said no. What she hopes is that people will get in the ocean in whatever way feels comfortable, and that some of them will join groups working to protect it. The next day she went surfing at Point Loma.