Swimming To Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer

This was written using understandable language and ample detailed descriptions, both of geography and body physiology. Due to my education and interests, I skimmed over the geography and slowed down for the anatomy information. Really enjoyed the entire story.

I really enjoyed this book. Fascinating stories from all across the globe where the author proves over and over again how she can make the seemingly impossible happen.

We humans....we love to push the envelope. Almost ANY tale of achieving extreme physical or mental achievment will attract our attention, but now and then a story that combines astounding prowess with charm and warmth comes along. Such is Lynne Cox's Swimming to Antarctica.This book doesn't require a lengthy explanation for why it is a certifiably enjoyable read: extraordinary physical prowess combines with even more extraordinary strength of will in the person of Lynne Cox, and the results are legendary. Cox's writing skills are not extraordinary, but her down home writing voice combines with a choice of life goals to create a tale in which the sum is far greater than the parts.You might expect, in a book written by a world class athlete, to hear some eye-popping stories of achievment, and your expectations will be met. What you might NOT expect is that Lynne Cox's unassuming, almost humble, telling of her story will have a lingering affect on you (and me) the reader. Cox's endurance in the water is matched by her endurance in going after a goal, and her persistence in getting permission to do certain feats (swimming the Bering Strait) is almost as astounding as her actual swims. Her never-say-die attitude both in and out of the water has on multiple occasions led me to lace up my running shoes on cold and gray days, or led me to go a few steps further in pursuing a non-athletic goal than I previously would have.There are many other fabulous tales of athletic achievement out there, from Lance Armstrong's It's Not About the Bike, to the more recently popular Man on Wire (about the gentleman who illegally strung a wire between the Twin Towers, and walked back and forth along it several times). The pleasant steady character of Lynne Cox's biography outpaces both of these books in terms of changing the way we each view our own personal challenges.If you're a swimmer, this is a must read. If you're not the type that likes to get wet, you'll still find yourself immersed in, charmed by, and changed by Lynne Cox's wonderful story.

As a swimmer my friends had been trying to get me to read this book for the longest time. Eventually they just snuck it into my house. I had nothing going on so I started it.... and couldn't put it down. Lynne's stories are incredible and inspiring. Can't recommend this enough. A story of breaking barriers, records, and stereotypes. A must read for anyone who wants a little more inspiration in their lives.

I recently read this book to get psyched up for an open water swimming vacation my husband and I had signed up for. Even though Lynne's kind of swimming is something I'd never do (I love swimming, but hate cold), the story of her swims around the world was told in a way that you were right up close to her and feeling very involved with each and every swimming experience. The writing is superb, the swimming scenes exciting and full of vivid (spoiler alert - sometimes too vivid in the case of the Nile swim with the turds and the dead dog - EWW), and she was a very likable character I wanted to follow through with to the end. It was amazing reading about some of these places. Even though I wouldn't be caught dead swimming in shark infested waters or cold seas, I felt inspired to enjoy the sport of swimming to the fullest and strive for my next goal.

I once, on a macho dare, decided to take a swim in 48 degree water off Bar Harbor, Maine, in June. I walked in up to my ankles, felt my heart start to race, and turned right around and came out. Lynne Cox, in contrast, swims for hours in 40 degree water. What she does can rightly be described as "superhuman." The physiological tests that have been done on her do show that her physical responses to very cold water are different from almost all other humans, even ones who have trained to adapt to the cold. So the book was interesting in those areas.On the other hand, I was not impressed by Lynne's superhuman ego which drove her to swim in the filthiest waters in the world (we're talking raw sewage here, folks), and waters teeming with aggressive sharks (and, in some cases, poisonous sea snakes), and water so cold that the chances of permanent injury (or death) were high. Numerous times throughout the book she talks about her need to do something that nobody else has done before.So, her determination is impressive and admirable. But I'm afraid that at the root of this determination is some form of unhealthy mental imbalance.

All endurance accounts fascinate me but something about long distance swimming, especially at night, gives me a visceral shudder. Ok 20 words.

Read with our book club great reviews there

A fantastic account of the amazing swimming adventures of Lynne, narrated with humility and an ability to write well. What an inspiration!

She takes you through all those amazing experiences as if you were there swimming by her side. Highly recommend it.

Histórias cheias de emoção de travessias "em mares nunca dantes nadados". Para nadadores de águas abertas.

Meine Güte, welch ein tolles Buch über Träume, Willen, Ausdauer, Abenteuer und Treue gegenüber sich selbst. Meiner Meinung nach ein absoluter Lesetipp!