Friday Feature: Swimming to Antarctica

Friday Feature is where we share books we love that have been out for several years. We don't want these treasures to get lost just because they aren't babies anymore!


Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer
by Lynne Cox



359 pages
First Published 2004


At age sixteen, legendary swimmer Lynne Cox reached her lifetime goal of setting a new world record for an English Channel swim. So she set her goals even higher: She became the first to swim the Strait of Magellan, narrowly escaped a shark attack off the Cape of Good Hope, and was cheered across the twenty-mile Cook Strait of New Zealand by dolphins. Her daring eventually led her to the thirty-eight degree waters of the Bering Strait, which she crossed in her usual outfit-just a swimsuit, cap, and goggles. She even swam a mile in the iceberg-choked seas of the Antarctic. With a poet's eye for detail, Cox shares the beauty of her time in the water in this new classic of sports memoir, now illustrated with photos and maps throughout.

***

My mom recommended I read this book and I was surprised to find that it captured my attention so quickly. I was also surprised to find a story about a swimmer so fascinating and fun to read. Lynne Cox has an amazing way of telling her stories that keep you on your toes and makes you wish you were right there cheering her on. There were so many things that I thought were interesting; how her body temperature would rise before a swim to help her in the colder waters, what she would drink while swimming, etc. She is an amazing women that shows you that you can really do anything if you set your mind to it and work for it.

4/5 stars