Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer

I loved this book. Lynne's adventures are amazing to read about and she does such a great job painting pictures of each swim. I couldn't put this book down.

Lynne Cox is such an inspirational writer that the reader concentrates on her exceptional accomplishments, both physical and mental, rather than the extreme pain and struggle it took to accomplish them. From her early teens, Cox has eliminated almost everything else from her life to dedicate herself to open-water swims in treacherous and freezing waters, including crossing the Bering Straight between Alaska and the Soviet Union, and swimming a mile in the Antarctic Ocean. What I really loved about this book is the way Cox struggled not only with the physical challenges of the swims but also struggled to make the swims mean something more to the world at large. For example, the Bering Straight swim took something lik 16 years of meetings and negotiations to arrange, hundreds of donors and volunteers. But in the end that swim stood as a testament and metaphor for the improving connections between nations. Everywhere she goes, Cox seems to have inspired anyone fortunate enough to witness her. That this has come with a great deal of personal sacrifice--money troubles, social limitations, significant nerve damage--is humbly underplayed in the book. She has a kind of determination and self-confidence that transcends a particular athletic endeavour. That Cox does not *look* like anyone's idea of an endurance athlete just adds to the inspiration -- she's 45 and she's swimming to Antarctica...so what's MY excuse?

I have read many books about extreme accomplishments and loved the excitement of the adventure, but cringed at the narcissism of the adventurer. Lynne Cox's book is full of first-rate thrills, but her character is just as remarkable. (In her first major swim from Catalina Island to the California shore, she waits for her fellow teenaged swimmers to catch up because they had agreed to finish together. How many elite athletes do you know who would sacrifice the opportunity to set a record because of a promise to friends?) Swimming to Antarctica is a fantastic read, as well as inspiring. I recommend it highly.

Ya' know, I'm not a swimmer. As a matter of fact, I don't even like to swim. But I loved this book. I received it as a gift from a friend. I thought the cover/title was just a metaphor for ambition or goals or drive, certainly not thinking, by any means, that the author swam Antarctica. Boy, was I surprised! Not only that I was wrong but that I was also right! Written in an "easy to read style"this book is about heart, focus,achievement, doing what you're destined for in spite of adversity, using what society dictates is your shortcomings to your advantage, and most importantly, trying to make a difference. Read it. You'll be as surprised and consumed as I was. Everyone that I've recommended it to has been.

I started reading Swimming to Antarctica at 8 pm and I couldn't put it down till I finished it after midnight!Her book, her adventures, her swims, and especially Lynne herself - are all fantastic! Not only did she set and achieve personal goals, she did it keeping in mind her involvement with those around her - family, coaches, fellow swimmers, the community, and even those non-swimmers who cheered on her achievements! I can't stop using exclamation marks because I admire and am thrilled by everything Lynne has done! I wish the book had photographs! I wish I read Lynne's book or heard about herin high school - it might have inspired me to do more over the years. The writing is engaging and you feel you are right in the stormy, foggy ocean or in the murky slime of the Nile or in the icy, freezing water of Antarctica. Lynne rates as high as Thor Heyerdahl (Kon Tiki) as a modern adventurer. When I saw a photograph of her in People Magazine - it was wonderful to put that smiling face to the smiling voice that comes through clearly in her writing! I will read and re-read this book many times over the years.

I was hooked by the first few pages of this book. The author captures you and takes you on an adventure with her swims around the world. She shares insight, doubts, fears, goal setting and a burning desire to stick to her goals, no matter what may arise to detour her. She has the ability to make you feel as though you can share the image as she did with swimming through rain and hail: "I felt as if I were swimming through a giant bowl of icy tapioca." The imagery of swimming at night in cold and darkness is chilling. There is no other swimmer in the world that can swim in 32 degree water wearing only a swimsuit. She is courageous and inspiring with the details of her swims. The book is not just for swimmers; it is for all of us that have dreams we would like to pursue, but lack the tenacity to push the limits of what we think we can accomplish.