Episode 94: Catherine Breed Open Water record setting Swimmer

December 31, 2020
Open water swimmer Catherine Breed swims fast for long distances in lakes and oceans. She holds four open water records, two USMS national records, and has solid goals for many more.

Catherine raced (in a pool), very successfully, for both UC Berkeley and the US National team. Then, after graduating, she joined the Dolphin Club, an open water swim club in San Francisco. There, she found a strong sense of community and her post-collegiate swimming niche. She loves the cold water and long distances. On September 21st she completed the 25 mile swim across Monterey Bay, which she did in 12 hours and 42 minutes, setting a new record. She is only the sixth person (five of which were women) to make the swim, so she joins an historic group of female athletes. Her first ultra-marathon swim was crossing Lake Tahoe in 2017, where she beat both the men’s and the women’s records. Just a few months ago in October she was part of a record-breaking relay team in the Uberman Triathlon, a 21 mile swim, a 400 mile bike, and a 135 mile run.

Catherine is passionate about swimming and about making it accessible to all people. The water is a calming place for her and a safe haven. She believes everyone deserves that opportunity regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status.

Catherine’s website, Beyond the Blackline
on IG
Honey Stinger Gels
Infinit Performance Nutrition
Sarah Fuller, first woman to score in a Power Five conference football game
Emily Harrington, first woman to free climb the iconic rock face's notoriously difficult Golden Gate route in under 24 hours
Courtney Dauwalter, super, record setting ultramarathon runner
I just finished Find a Way, Diana Nyad’s account of her years-long quest to swim from Cuba to the US.
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