Lynne Cox

Lynne Cox is an American long-distance open water swimmer and author known for breaking records and using her swims as gestures of peace. After becoming part of the first group of teenagers to complete the challenging crossing of the Catalina Island Channel in 1971, Lynne Cox continued to redefine open water swimming. In 1972, she set a new record for the fastest English Channel crossing, completing the feat in 9 hours and 57 minutes, and then surpassed her own record the following year with a time of 9 hours and 36 minutes in 1973. Building on this success, Cox made history in 1975 as the first woman to successfully swim across the treacherous 13.5-mile Cook Strait in New Zealand, a body of water notorious for sharks.

This remarkable feat symbolized hope for improved US-Soviet relations and earned direct acknowledgment from both President Reagan and Soviet leader Gorbachev. Its impact extended beyond the swim, contributing three years later to a landmark US-Russian agreement focused on collaborative efforts in natural conservation, cultural preservation, and scientific research within the Bering Strait region. Throughout her career, Cox continued to tackle some of the world’s most extreme aquatic environments. In May 1992, she completed a challenging swim of approximately 10 miles in the high-altitude Andean Lake Titicaca.

Today, Lynne Cox continues to inspire audiences globally as a sought-after public speaker and educator. She shares her extraordinary experiences, providing unique insights into human resilience and motivating diverse groups on the power of overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges.