Courtesy of International Swimming Hall of Fame, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

International Swimming Hall of Fame curator Bruce Wigo called Lynne Cox‘s 1987 Bering Strait crossing between between the Diomede Islands on either side of the Soviet Union and American border, “This might be one of the most significant swims in the history of the world.”

Wigo explained Cox’s journey on a recent Travel Channel show called Mysteries at the Museum. The episode was filmed at the International Swimming Hall of Fame and demonstrates how close the Soviet Union and the USA are to each other.