On September 3, 24-year-old Abby Bergman successfully completed a 27-mile swim across Santa Monica Bay, becoming only the fourth person to ever complete the distance swim.
Over the course of the 27-miles, Bergman swam from Point Dume in Malibu to Rocky Point in Palos Verdes, finishing in 16 hours 25 minutes and 53 seconds.
Her success came in spite of a difficult course, including strong winds, low water temperatures, large waves, and a current.
Before getting into the water, Bergman struggled with seasickness. She said, “I felt so bad I almost didn’t get into the water, but I made a promise to myself that I would at least try. As soon as I hit the water I felt better, and after about an hour of swimming, I was really having fun.”
Beginning just before midnight on September 2, Bergman entered the water, which was only about 62-degrees Fahrenheit at the time. She then proceeded to swim alongside a guide boat and a kayak throughout her journey.
Although the crew ran into issues keeping the kayak on course due to the strong winds, Bergman continued to swim until slightly after 4 pm on September 3 when she touched the cliff off of Lunada Bay, which successfully completed her journey.
After the swim, Bergman shared “I am sore and really sunburned, but happy and proud that I pushed through.”
Congrats, Abby!!
Well done lady.
What’s the next challenge?
Congratulations Abby!!!