Amador Valley alumna set to swim the size of California subsequent yr

It takes a distinct breed of athlete to swim throughout such nice distances just like the Monterey Bay and the English Channel. But for Amador Valley High School alumna and completed Bay Area swimmer Catherine Breed, that’s the place she feels most snug.

However, the two-time NCAA champion and former Team USA swimmer now has her eyes set on a brand new problem — swimming your complete size of California. 

“I truly believe this is something I’ve been training for my whole life,” Breed informed the Pleasanton Weekly.

Breed will doc her journey as she takes on greater than 900 miles of the Pacific Ocean subsequent yr with two important targets in thoughts: to boost consciousness for ocean conservationism and to empower extra ladies world wide to be concerned in actions associated to the ocean.

“The best way to think about Swim California is, it’s my love letter to our backyard — my love letter to the California coast,” Breed mentioned. “Through documentation and storytelling through sport, we can invite the average person to learn about the people, the places and the problems in our backyard.”

Breed grew up within the Tri-Valley having lived in Castlewood and Dublin earlier than finally shifting to Pleasanton for the beginning of highschool at Amador Valley. Even although she grew up within the valley, Breed mentioned she has at all times been drawn to the water.

Breed began swimming on the age of 4. Growing up, she mentioned she and her household spent numerous weekends swimming or crusing within the bay, which she credit for her embellished profession in swimming.

She certified for the U.S. Olympic Trials by age 15 and was named the 2011 All-East Bay Girls Swimmer of the Year. She additionally led Pleasanton Seahawks to seventh place on the 2011 U.S. Junior National Championships and took second within the 200-meter freestyle and sixth within the 400-meter freestyle on the 2011 U.S. National Championships.

When she graduated from Amador Valley in 2011, Breed then took her abilities to the University of California, Berkeley’s swimming and diving staff the place she ended her profession ranked amongst Cal’s all-time high 10 in a number of occasions, in line with the college’s web site.

It wasn’t till 2016 when Breed joined the Dolphin Club, a San Francisco-based open-water swimming and boating membership, that she discovered her area of interest ardour — open water swimming.

Since then, Breed has turn out to be a record-setting open water swimmer after having swum the English Channel, the size of Lake Tahoe, throughout the Monterey Bay and from San Francisco to Half Moon Bay, simply to call a couple of.

And in line with her web site, it was in the course of the pitch-black swim from Santa Cruz to Monterey in 2020 that she realized that is what she wished to do along with her life.

“With every stroke, bioluminescence lit up my fingertips. And in that glow, I thought about all the people who helped me get there — each of them a little light guiding me forward,” Breed wrote. “That was the moment I realized: this is where I want to leave my mark. This is how I want to make an impact.”

But it wasn’t till 2022, after she swam from the Golden Gate Bridge to Half Moon Bay, that she started tossing the concept round to swim the size of California. She mentioned that swimming to Half Moon Bay wasn’t for any accolades and that one thing throughout that swim clicked inside her to make her wish to decide to this newest endeavor, which is slowly now changing into a actuality.

Swim California, Breed mentioned, will probably be an assisted swim journey that may happen roughly over three months and can take her from probably the most northern level of California, all the way in which right down to the southern tip. 

Breed mentioned in documenting her journey all through the varied months, she hopes to shine a lightweight on points impacting the state’s coast and the better ocean by displaying folks first hand. She additionally hopes that by way of her efforts, extra folks won’t solely get extra energetic relating to saving ocean wildlife, however they can even get extra ladies and younger women all for what she calls ocean actions.

These actions, she mentioned, can vary from crusing, swimming to ocean pictures and offshore fishing. 

Breed mentioned she additionally hopes to bridge that hole between ocean conservation and the seafaring business by way of the nonprofit that she based, Sea Dreamers, which she is closely selling by way of Swim California. According to the nonprofit’s web site, it seems to be to “open doors for women to get involved in ocean activities through community, inclusivity, empowerment and education surrounding ocean conservation.”

Breed mentioned she is aiming to swim roughly 5 hours day by day with a ship following her alongside the coast. She mentioned she plans on stopping in varied locations all through the journey and has even mapped out a route with docking factors for the boat.

Breed and her staff have been planning this journey for the previous 5 years, however added that there will probably be a whole lot of challenges alongside the way in which. From unpredictable waves and climate, to the low chance of sharks, Breed mentioned she is getting ready each bodily and mentally for each side of the swim.

“It’s going to be a very complex and dynamic event and having flexibility and being comfortable with the unknown is going to be paramount to the swim,” Breed mentioned.

That’s why she mentioned she must lean on her neighborhood now greater than ever.

“It’s a privilege to see how tough you can be and it’s really special when you get to do it with a community that supports you,” she mentioned.

Breed mentioned she is grateful to have grown up and continues to stay within the Bay Area as a result of she has pals from Pleasanton all the way in which to Berkeley who’re capable of assist her endeavors, together with this newest one.

“As a former Don, Catherine Breed is an inspiring example of the many ways our alumni go on to make a positive difference in the world,” Susanne Frey, security and communications coordinator for Pleasanton Unified School District, informed the Weekly. “We wish her all the best on this incredible journey.”

Currently, Breed is asking for assist within the type of donations to her web site and can also be asking for sponsorship and somebody to let her and her staff borrow a ship for the journey subsequent yr. She mentioned any assistance is appreciated and hopes she will be able to encourage others to comply with their goals like she did.

“Community is really important when going after big challenges,” she mentioned. “I’m grateful for the community I have and I hope this story inspires people to push themself and to do something they should think they were able to do.”

Breed mentioned she plans on setting out for her journey someday subsequent June. For extra data and to assist her journey, go to www.catherinebreed.com.

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