April 2017
December 1992
Breathtaking Swim Across Lake Titicaca
Swimming from Bolivia to Peru, Lynne became the first to swim across Lake Titicaca. She had support from the Bolivian Navy and a welcoming committee from Peru and the National Swim Team of Bolivia. Her swim enhanced relations between the two nations.
August 1988
First to Cross Lake Baikal
Lynne continued her collaboration with a joint US-Soviet team to become the first person to swim across Lake Baikal. In recognition of her accomplishment, the Soviets named a cape on Lake Baikal in her honor – Cape Lynne Cox.
August 1987
Lynne Swims Bering Strait
After years of seeking permission, preparation, and planning, Lynne achieves a diplomatic first swimming across the Bering Strait to open the US-Soviet Border for the first time in 48 years with a time of 2 hours and 6 minutes in 38-degree water.
Click to watch and hear Presidents Reagan and Gorbachev toast Lynne’s historic swim.
August 1985
Swims Around the World
Continuing her effort to garner support for the Bering Strait swim Lynne completed a series of challenging swims around the world including waters in the US, Iceland, the Strait of Gibraltar – becoming the first person to swim from Morocco to Spain, Strait of Messina, around Delos Island in Greece, the Bosphorus, Lake Kuming in China, the 5 lakes of Mount Fuji, Glacier Bay, and finishing at the Golden Gate.
January 1983
Testing Her Limits: New Zealand Southern Alps
Lynne swam across the three Lakes of New Zealand’s Southern Alps setting records for swimming at high altitude in extreme cold temperatures.
December 1977
Lynne Breaks Boundaries Cape of Good Hope
Lynne was the first person to swim the 10 miles around the Cape of Good Hope through shark and sea-snake infested waters, in 3 hours and 3 minutes.
July 1977
Pioneer of Cold Swims Aleutian Islands
Lynne became the first person to swim between three of the Aleutian Islands in preparation for her historic Bering Strait swim.
December 1976
Another First The Strait of Magellan
Achieving a new milestone, Lynne became the first person to swim across the Strait of Magellan. She swam in 42-degree F (5.5 degrees C) water, through a storm with a 9-knot cross current, in 1 hour 2 minutes.
August 1976
World Record Swimming the Skagerrak
Lynne swam the Skagerak between Norway to Sweden. Despite encountering a huge smack of jellyfish, she set a men’s and women’s record in a time of 6 hours and 16 minutes.
World Record Swimming the Oresund
Lynne continued her world-record pace by setting both men’s and women’s marks for swimming the Oresund between Denmark and Sweden with a time of 5 hours and 9 minutes.
February 1975
Swimming New Zealand’s Cook Strait
Lynne was the first woman to swim across Cook Strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. After being pushed back by currents for 5 hours, she completed a 20 mile crossing in 12 hours and 2 ½ minutes. This swim was heralded by New Zealand’s Prime Minister Rowling as having helped heal relations between his country and the United States.
September 1974
Another World Record: The Catalina Channel
At age 17 Lynne returned to the Catalina Channel and broke the men’s and women’s world records with a time of 8 hours and 48 minutes – almost 4 hours faster than her first Catalina swim.
August 1973
English Channel: Regaining the World Record
Shortly after her 1972 swim, Lynne’s record was broken by Davis Hart. Rising to the challenge, she returned to England and regained the men’s and women’s records for swimming from England to France, with a time of 9 hours and 36 minutes.
July 1972
English Channel: World Record
At age 15 Lynne swam across the English Channel and shattered the men’s and women’s world records swimming from England to France with a time of 9 hours and 57 minutes.
