Carol Lee Heltzel (aka Carol Breiter ) is an accomplished open water swimmer and coach. She completed two channels of the Oceans Seven : the Catalina Channel and the English Channel . She was the first female swimmer, finishing in 9 hours 28 minutes as she represented the United States at the USA Long Distance International Championships in the Catalina Channel and won the 10-mile ocean swim at the 1980, 1982 and 1983 Seal Beach Rough Water Swims in Seal Beach , California.