Catherine Breed (31, USA, MSF bio here) is a California adventurer and motivator. Her Swim California event, a 900-mile (1,448 km) coastal swim from the California-Oregon border in the north down to the California-Mexican border in the south is the most publicized, most anticipated, most audacious stage swim in the Americas in 2026.
It is remarkable how she has raised over US$500,000 for her challenge, and incorporated educational speeches and motivational talks before and during her event while training hard in her pre-swim preparations and swimming daily since the event started nearly two weeks ago.
The 5-time world record holder, a former world-class pool swimmer, is setting the bar on how young (and older) women can set daring goals, obtain sufficient financing, and establish their own open water swimming lifestyle. She is showing open water swimmers how they can realize their own dreams.
So I have been interested in following her.
But the information has been inconsistent to far.
I was fascinated – and still am – about how exactly she is going about her swim. I want to know what she is going through on a daily basis, perhaps watching her from a livestream in the water. I want to know how she decides what and where to swim on a daily basis. I want to see the waves, currents, and her struggles (and successes and smiles) on a daily basis. That would be impressive and inspirational.
Those kinds of visuals, along with daily trackers of her movements is what I though her tech-savvy team, along with her promoters, would provide for her growing number of fans and admirers. I had hoped to learn more information and many details about how she is doing the most audacious swim in American history (e.g., “I got up at 4 am this morning…I motored to last nigh’s exit point…here are the coordinates…then I swam for 16 km in 3 hours…but I faced 3-4 raging seas and pulled into this port and stayed overnight at the X Hotel while some of my crew stayed on the boat…I will be back tomorrow and we will give a talk at X Harbor where you can meet me…“).
This level of detail could substantially sustain a a level of interest that would only grow in time as she moves down the coast. I want to see how happy – or exhausted – she is after her swims and how a four-month long stage swim can wear on her physically and mentally. It is an inspiration to see how see faces adversity that will undoubtedly come later on in the swim.
Marathon Swimmers Federation Tracker
In lieu of easily seeing that information – that frankly may come later as Breed and her on-the-water support team and her group of dryland volunteers get further into her swim – I am dependent upon the information provided by Evan Morrison of the Marathon Swimmers Federation. See the MSF tracker here. A snapshot of the Marathon Swimmers Federation tracker after Stage #13 is shown above:
Morrison’s tracker of Swim California gives an independent view of Breed’s stage swim progress down the California coast from the state of Oregon to the US-Mexican border. She estimates her adventure will take her up to four months of daily swimming that may end in October. The information plotted and analyzed by the MSF tracker is a great resource for the progress that Breed is making.
Catherine Breed’s Motivation
Breed previously provided a detailed explanation for her reasons to commit to this audacious feat, called My love letter to the Coast:
“I’m Catherine Breed, a marathon open water swimmer from Mill Valley, California. I’ve been in the water since I was four, and the ocean has always felt like home – a place where I feel free, strong, and deeply connected to something greater than myself. It’s where I go to challenge my limits, clear my mind, and remember what truly matters.
People often ask why I’m attempting to swim the entire California coast – over 900 miles from Oregon to Mexico. Honestly, I ask myself that too.
Have you ever felt so deeply pulled to do something that not doing it would feel like a regret you’d carry forever? That’s what this swim is for me. It’s been on my mind for years, and I just can’t imagine not trying. It’s not about proving anything to anyone. This swim is about expressing my love – to the ocean, the place I love most in the world.
I want to tell a story of the California coastline, this is a lesson plan on the people, places, and problems in our own backyard. I want to show people that we’re capable of doing hard things, of pushing beyond what we think is possible. And I want to create a long lasting impact. I hope this journey inspires others to spend more time in the ocean, to care for it, and to protect the wild places that make us feel alive.
Swimming has given me so much – a full ride to UC Berkeley, two gold medals at the Pan-American Games, and world records across Lake Tahoe, Monterey Bay, and beyond – but this project is different.
This swim is my love letter to the coast I grew up exploring. It’s a chance to share its beauty, its people, and its marine life, and to protect it for future generations. I want to show what’s possible when you dream big and remind people that human potential isn’t limited.
Some days during this swim will be brutally hard, but through it all, I hope to inspire you to chase your own big goals, whatever they are.
In 2026, I will swim the full length of California’s coast over 3-4 months, and it will take a village – boats, captains, kayakers, crew, housing and food for the team, and transportation and safety support – which is why I’m raising US$500,000 to make it possible.
If my story resonates with you, I hope you’ll follow along and donate financially to this cause. I’ll share real insights from my training – mindset, recovery, grit, and the raw moments behind an attempt like this.
This isn’t just my swim; it’s a journey for all of us who love the ocean, crave adventure, and believe in trying something even when it feels impossible. Thank you for being here.
Donations are currently being accepted through my 501-c3 non-profit, Sea Dreamers.”
Progress to Date
So far, after 13 stages, Breed has swum 127.3 km in total, nearly 10 km per stage. With 1,272.8 km to go, she is on track to swim from Pelican State Beach located on the northern California and Oregon border [see below on left] to Imperial Beach in San Diego County that sits along the California-Mexican border [see below on right].
Sea Dreamers
For more information on the Sea Dreamers, visit seadreamers.org. For more information on Swim California, visit here.
© 2026 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“
World Open Water Swimming Federation, a human-powered project