On Saturday afternoon, New Zealander Kim Chambers became the first woman to swim the 30 miles from the Farallon Islands to the Golden Gate Bridge, . She completed the course, which is notorious for sharks, in 17 hours and 12 minutes.
Chambers began swimming in 2009, after a case of acute compartment syndrome put her mobility at risk, . Doctors considered amputating her leg, but after two years of rehabilitation, the 38-year-old began to take part in ultra-distance open-water events. She has since completed long-distance swims in open waters around the world, including the English Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar.
Chambers is the fifth person in history to finish the Farallon swim.
鈥淚鈥檓 completely overwhelmed,鈥 she told CNN. 鈥淭his is something that I鈥檝e wanted for so long, and I can鈥檛 believe I did it.鈥