Lynne Cox (born January 2, 1957)[1] is an American long-distance open water swimmer, writer, and speaker.

[14] Her accomplishment a few years before the end of the Cold War earned praise from both U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

[15] He and President Reagan lifted their glasses and Gorbachev said: "Last summer it took one brave American by the name of Lynne Cox just two hours to swim from one of our countries to the other.

While Titicaca's water, at 13 to 14 °C (55 to 57 °F), is warmer than that of the Bering Strait, the high elevation and unidentified biting creatures offered an unusual challenge.

Her second book, Grayson, details her encounter with a lost baby gray whale during an early morning workout off the coast of California.