Swimmer completes 900-mile California coast swim ending near San Diego

Catherine Breed, a Mill Valley resident and former UC Berkeley NCAA champion, completed a 900-mile staged swim along the California coast, finishing her expedition Monday afternoon at Coronado Bay near San Diego, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The swim began July 1 at the Oregon border and ended after 111 days, covering the full California coastline in stages supported by a boat and crew with GPS tracking and observers documenting her progress.

Breed described the journey as more difficult than expected, with moments of exhaustion, but credited her team and supporters for encouragement that helped her persevere.

This expedition is believed to be the first completed staged swim of California's entire coastline, though formal ratification is pending review of supporting records.

Breed, who had previously swum long distances including Lake Tahoe, was inspired by the San Francisco-based Dolphin Club to take on challenging swims like the English Channel.

Her journey attracted local attention, including a gathering of 200 supporters when she stopped at Bodega Harbour in the North Bay during the swim.