Swimming To Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer

A very good book! Would be interesting even if I was not a swimmer. She is a very good writer. Gave me much more insight about open water swimming. It is amazing the swims Lynne did in water 40 degrees and colder. Borders between amazing and crazy. Lynne found freedom in open water that she could not find in a swimming pool.

I love to swim, but this book opened up a whole new world to me. I was completely fascinated by Lynne's cold water and open water swims. Her escapades are told in a very warm and captivating manner. I found the book inspiring and eye-opening and crazy!! I grew up near Puget Sound in Tacoma, but never never looked at the sound as a body of water to swim in- way too cold!! Recently, while driving along the sound on a beautiful sunny, but cold day, I watched scuba divers out in wet suits practicing. I totally looked at the water and thought I should be out there doing laps- at least in front of the beach. But I would not go without a wet suit and have never swam in one, so perhaps one day. . .! I found Lynne to be very brave, and a very fine story teller! Would recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure!!

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.

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'm a distance swimmer (five miles a day for 22 years...) and this book is sort of like "coming home" to me. I read it every year and constantly come away inspired and re-committed to my daily practice. I've read a lot of swimming memoirs but for some reason this particular book is the one that *really* captures what swimming is all about- not just the physical aspects of it, but the extreme emotional and mental parts of it (especially those long-haul swims...) In addition, the accounts of different locations in which Lynne Cox has traveled is completely fascinating. I've become a little obsessed with different bodies of water and what swimming in them is like, and "Swimming to Antarctica" REALLY offers a great variety of accounts of different areas around the globe and how vastly different water can be in one location compared to the next. This is a must-read for all those who love to swim, or those who want to understand why it is that some of us are so obsessed with distance swimming. HIGHLY recommended.

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.

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.

Ms. Cox writing is very inspiring.I wanted to read this book to learn more about cold water swimming.I thought it could give me a sense of coping with the recent arctic blasts we had here in the deep South.I now realize how fortunate we really are.Next time it's really cold here I can say I can cope with the cold here on dry land if someone can swim in icy waters.I now know I can take my one hour walks during the freezing cold and still be much better off than she was during these cold swims and that can keep me going.Her message of keep going can inspired you no matter what your goals are.

Really inspiring book - I loved reading it! I discovered the book in the ship library on a trip to Antarctica and once I returned home, I ordered it right away. Very impressive story.

Um delícia de ler! Estou amando!

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

This was the first book that I read by Lynne Cox many years ago and this is my 4th copy as I always loan it out and then they keep it as it is a so good. The overriding theme of her books as that she crates connection and community with her swims, she has friends around the world through swimming and connects with everyone. Her writing flows so well and she speaks with warmth and love. With the current invasion of the Ukraine by one man, it’s important to read about how one women was responsible for helping to bring about talks that helped break the Cold War. One person can make peace happen.

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