Catherine Breed

Catherine Breed is an American ultra-endurance athlete, waterwoman, and ocean advocate. A former NCAA champion at the University of California, Berkeley, she has since become one of the world’s most accomplished marathon swimmers—breaking seven records in the sport and accomplishing swims such as the English Channel, Monterey Bay, the Cook Strait in New Zealand, Catalina Channel, the North Channel in Ireland, the famed Farallon Islands to the Golden Gate, and many others.

She is the founder of Sea Dreamers, a nonprofit that empowers women to connect with the ocean through access and education. Her forthcoming expedition, Swim California, will see her swim the entire 900-mile coastline of California—from the Oregon border to Mexico—while documenting the people, places, and problems along the coast. It is her love letter to California.

Through her social media, blog, and public speaking she explores grit, community, and the ways in which our relationship with the ocean can mirror our search for purpose, courage, and self-understanding.