Lynne Cox Claimed
American extreme open water swimmer, motivational speaker and writerAverage Reviews
Description
Lynne Cox is an American extreme open water swimmer, motivational speaker and writer from Seal Beach, California. She was inducted in both the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honour Swimmer. The asteroid 37588 Lynnecox was named in her honor.
Her first book about the experience of swimming in Antarctica was described in Swimming to Antarctica published in 2004. Her second book, Grayson, details her encounter with a lost baby gray whale during an early morning workout off the coast of California. It was published in 2006. The third book South with the Sun was published in 2011 and is about Roald Amundsen, the polar explorer who was the first to reach the South Pole (in 1911). The book honors the 100th anniversary of his triumph. Her fourth book is entitled The Day the Whale Came”. Her fifth book is a very well-received how-to open water swimming guidebook called Open Water Swimming Manual: An Expert’s Survival Guide For Triathletes And Open Water Swimmers. Her sixth book is entitled Swimming in the Sink: An Episode of the Heart.
Role in Swimming Community
Swimmer
Special Honors
WOWSA Award Nominee
Hall of Famer
Awards & Accomplishments
On 14 August 1971, she completed a tandem crossing of the Catalina Channel from Santa Catalina Island to the Southern California mainland in 12 hours 34 minutes at the age of 14 together with Andy Taylor (age 12), Dennis Sullivan (age 14) and Stacy Fresonke (age 14), the first group of teenagers to complete the crossing of the Santa Catalina Island Channel in California.
On 20 July 1972, she completed a 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel from England to France in 9 hours 57 minutes at the age of 15, setting the record for the fastest crossing (men and women).
On 10 August 1973, she completed her second crossing of the English Channel from England to France in 9 hours 36 minutes, setting the record for the fastest 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel.
On 22 September 1974, she completed a 32.3 km crossing of the Catalina Channel from the Southern California mainland to Santa Catalina Island in 8 hours 48 minutes at the age of 17 breaking the men’s and women’s records.
On 4 February 1975, she completed a 23 km crossing of the Cook Strait in New Zealand from the North Island to South Island in 12 hours 2 minutes, becoming the first woman to swim the 10°C (50°F) water strait.
In 1976 she broke the men's and women's record for swimming the Oresund between Denmark and Sweden in 5 hours 9 minutes.
In 1976, she broke the men's and women's record for swimming across the Kattegut between Norway to Sweden in a time of 6 hours 16 minutes.
In 1976, she became the first person to swim across the 42°F waters of the Strait of Magellan in Chile in 1 hour 2 minutes.
In 1976, she become the first person to swim around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
On 20 December 1977, she swam 8 km around Cape Point in South Africa from Diaz Beach to Buffels Bay in 3 hours 2 minutes.
On 26 August 1988, she completed a 11.7 km swim across Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia in 4 hours 19 minutes 18 seconds.
In 1977: Cox became the first person to swim between three of the Aleutian Islands and the first person to swim 12.8 km (8 miles) around the Cape of Good Hope in a time of 3 hours 3 minutes.
In 1980, Cox swam around Jogashima Island in Japan.
In 1983, Cox swam across the three Lakes of New Zealand’s Southern Alps.
In 1984, Cox swam across 12 major waterways across the U.S.
In 1985, Cox swam ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ by swimming 12 extremely challenging waterways some that had never been attempted including the Five Lakes of Mount Fuji in Japan and the Strait of Gibraltar from Morocco to Spain in 6 hours 10 minutes and the Strait of Messina in Italy in 40 minutes 38 seconds as well as swims in Greece, China, and Alaska.
In 1987, Cox is perhaps best known for swimming the Bering Strait from the island of Little Diomede in Alaska to Big Diomede, then part of the Soviet Union, in 2 hours 6 minutes where the water temperature averaged around 4°C (40°F). In 1987 she saw it as a way to open the U.S.-Soviet border for the first time in 48 years.
In 1988, Cox became the first person to swim 7 miles across Lake Baikal in 4 hours 19 minutes where Cape Lynne Cox was named in her honor
In 1990, Cox completed an unprecedented crossing of the Beagle Channel between Argentina and Chile. She also swam across the Spree River between the newly united German Republics.
In 1992, Cox became the first person to complete a high-altitude swim across Lake Titicaca from Bolivia to Peru. Swimming at 3,812 meters (12,507 feet), she swam 16 km from the resort village of Copacabana in Bolivia to the village of Chimbo in Peru, in 3 hours 48 minutes in 13-14°C (56-58°F) water.
In 1994, Cox swam through the Gulf of Aqaba from Egypt to Israel and from Israel to Jordan to commemorate the peace process
In 2002, Cox swam 1.22 nautical miles (2.25 km) from a ship in Neko Harbor in the 32°F (0°C) waters of Antarctica. Cox was in the water for 25 minutes.
In 2006, Cox swam across the Ohio River in Cincinnati from the Serpentine Wall to Newport, Kentucky to bring attention to plans to decrease the water quality standards for the Ohio River.
In 2007, Cox swam in Canada, Greenland and the United States with 4 swims along the Northwest Passage in tribute to polar explorer Roald Amundsen.
On 20 July 1972, she completed a 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel from England to France in 9 hours 57 minutes at the age of 15, setting the record for the fastest crossing (men and women).
On 10 August 1973, she completed her second crossing of the English Channel from England to France in 9 hours 36 minutes, setting the record for the fastest 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel.
On 22 September 1974, she completed a 32.3 km crossing of the Catalina Channel from the Southern California mainland to Santa Catalina Island in 8 hours 48 minutes at the age of 17 breaking the men’s and women’s records.
On 4 February 1975, she completed a 23 km crossing of the Cook Strait in New Zealand from the North Island to South Island in 12 hours 2 minutes, becoming the first woman to swim the 10°C (50°F) water strait.
In 1976 she broke the men's and women's record for swimming the Oresund between Denmark and Sweden in 5 hours 9 minutes.
In 1976, she broke the men's and women's record for swimming across the Kattegut between Norway to Sweden in a time of 6 hours 16 minutes.
In 1976, she became the first person to swim across the 42°F waters of the Strait of Magellan in Chile in 1 hour 2 minutes.
In 1976, she become the first person to swim around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
On 20 December 1977, she swam 8 km around Cape Point in South Africa from Diaz Beach to Buffels Bay in 3 hours 2 minutes.
On 26 August 1988, she completed a 11.7 km swim across Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia in 4 hours 19 minutes 18 seconds.
In 1977: Cox became the first person to swim between three of the Aleutian Islands and the first person to swim 12.8 km (8 miles) around the Cape of Good Hope in a time of 3 hours 3 minutes.
In 1980, Cox swam around Jogashima Island in Japan.
In 1983, Cox swam across the three Lakes of New Zealand’s Southern Alps.
In 1984, Cox swam across 12 major waterways across the U.S.
In 1985, Cox swam ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ by swimming 12 extremely challenging waterways some that had never been attempted including the Five Lakes of Mount Fuji in Japan and the Strait of Gibraltar from Morocco to Spain in 6 hours 10 minutes and the Strait of Messina in Italy in 40 minutes 38 seconds as well as swims in Greece, China, and Alaska.
In 1987, Cox is perhaps best known for swimming the Bering Strait from the island of Little Diomede in Alaska to Big Diomede, then part of the Soviet Union, in 2 hours 6 minutes where the water temperature averaged around 4°C (40°F). In 1987 she saw it as a way to open the U.S.-Soviet border for the first time in 48 years.
In 1988, Cox became the first person to swim 7 miles across Lake Baikal in 4 hours 19 minutes where Cape Lynne Cox was named in her honor
In 1990, Cox completed an unprecedented crossing of the Beagle Channel between Argentina and Chile. She also swam across the Spree River between the newly united German Republics.
In 1992, Cox became the first person to complete a high-altitude swim across Lake Titicaca from Bolivia to Peru. Swimming at 3,812 meters (12,507 feet), she swam 16 km from the resort village of Copacabana in Bolivia to the village of Chimbo in Peru, in 3 hours 48 minutes in 13-14°C (56-58°F) water.
In 1994, Cox swam through the Gulf of Aqaba from Egypt to Israel and from Israel to Jordan to commemorate the peace process
In 2002, Cox swam 1.22 nautical miles (2.25 km) from a ship in Neko Harbor in the 32°F (0°C) waters of Antarctica. Cox was in the water for 25 minutes.
In 2006, Cox swam across the Ohio River in Cincinnati from the Serpentine Wall to Newport, Kentucky to bring attention to plans to decrease the water quality standards for the Ohio River.
In 2007, Cox swam in Canada, Greenland and the United States with 4 swims along the Northwest Passage in tribute to polar explorer Roald Amundsen.
Gender
Female
