Calif. woman makes history by swimming state's 900-mile length. She did it so you don't have to

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Set us as preferred A Bay Area woman has made history with a roughly 900-mile swim that meant navigating hurricanes and tropical storms, an experience that took months and was alternately grueling and magical.Catherine Breed, 33-year-old endurance swimmer, emerged from the water on Monday after crossing the latitude of the California-Mexico border and became the first person to swim the length of California.“It just felt emotional,” Breed told The Times on Tuesday, calling from San Diego.“I felt so proud of the team, and definitely a mix of joy but also relief that it was over and we did it successfully.” Breed technically finished her journey from Oregon to Mexico in private three miles offshore to avoid the sewage and pollution crisis from the Tijuana River.To cap off the 111-day journey, which began in July, Breed held a celebration at Coronado Beach on Monday.

She swam from the open sea toward shore and climbed onto the sand, where guests had been encouraged to “stay dry and cheer loud from the beach.”Breed was raised in Pleasanton and is a UC Berkeley graduate, where she was a member of of the school’s decorated swim team.Knee injuries took her out of college swimming, but after graduating, she started leading long swims in open water, including many in the Bay Area.

Soon, she was breaking records and setting her sights on bigger goals.When Breed spoke to The Times in February, while preparing for the daring journey, she admitted that she was nervous about jellyfish and wind.In the end, the jellyfish didn’t pose any issues, though she said she did have some “very magical” encounters with dolphins and sea lions.The weather varied.

There were days when it was “amazing,” she said.One of her favorite moments came along the Big Sur coast, when she finished her swim for the day and rested aboard the C...