Cox, Lynne. Swimming to Antarctica; tales of a long-distance swimmer.COX, Lynne. Swimming to Antarctica; tales of a long-distance swimmer. Harcourt, Harvest. 359p. illus. c2004. 0-15-603130-2. $14.00. SA Many stories of athletes who achieve at a high level tell of enduring demanding coaches, grueling practice sessions, and personal deprivation in quest of a goal. But few athletes aim for and succeed in as challenging an area as swimmer Lynne Cox Lynne Cox (born 1957) is an American long-distance open-water swimmer and writer. In 1971 she and her teammates were the first group of teenagers to complete the crossing of the Catalina Island Channel in California. . As early as age 14, Lynne felt restricted by swimming laps in even the largest pool. She joined a group training to swim across a stretch of open ocean. She tells how over the next 30 years she took on ever more challenging swims, specializing in long-distance, cold-water swimming. Her energy was always high, and she mastered the special techniques that enabled her to swim at a high speed. She learned how her body reacted to cold and how to keep from caving in to the ever-awaiting disasters. She learned how to read the ocean, to go deeper when large waves rolled in, to anticipate whirlpools and dodge pieces of ice in the water. Readers follow Lynne as she swims the English Channel English Channel, Fr. La Manche [the sleeve], arm of the Atlantic Ocean, c.350 (560 km) long, between France and Great Britain. It is 112 mi (180 km) wide at its west entrance, between Land's End, England, and Ushant, France. Its greatest width, c. , the Strait of Magellan Noun 1. Strait of Magellan - the strait separating South America from Tierra del Fuego and other islands to the south of the continent; discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1520; an important route around South America before the Panama Canal was built , and the Cape of Good Hope Noun 1. Cape of Good Hope - a point of land in southwestern South Africa (south of Cape Town) 2. Cape of Good Hope - a province of western South Africa Cape of Good Hope n → . She swims near Egypt, Iceland, and New Zealand New Zealand (zē`lənd), island country (2005 est. pop. 4,035,000), 104,454 sq mi (270,534 sq km), in the S Pacific Ocean, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) SE of Australia. The capital is Wellington; the largest city and leading port is Auckland. . She swims Glacier Bay Glacier Bay Narrow inlet of the Pacific Ocean, southeastern Alaska coast, U.S. About 60 mi (97 km) long, it contains 16 active glaciers that descend from the St. Elias Mountains to the east and Fairweather Range to the west. in Alaska and then, when the Cold War needs some human warmth to thaw a bit, she swims the Bering Strait. Finally, Lynne swims a length of ocean near Antarctica, moving through waters one to three degrees above freezing temperature. That she could do this without the wet suits that would have protected her from the cold made her the subject of scientific examination. An excellent choice for aspiring high school athletes. Edna Boardman, Libn., Bismarck, ND S--Recommended for senior high school students. A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries. |
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