(Image courtesy of Lynne Cox)

A pioneer in the field of open water swimming, motivational speaker and author makes her first visit to Petersburg this week.

64-year-old Lynne Cox has completed dozens of swims in extreme conditions around the globe, from Antarctica to the Bering Strait. That’s perhaps her most famous swim, in August of 1987 when she swam nearly three miles from Little Diomede to Big Diomede Island in the Bering Strait, crossing the border from Alaska into the Soviet Union. She trained for that challenge in Nome and received encouragement from a Petersburg fishermen as she swam along the Nome shoreline.

Since then she’s written books for adults and children and she has another due to be published next year.

Joe Viechnicki spoke with Cox about her connection to Petersburg and advice about surviving and thriving in cold water:

Lynne Cox will speak at the Petersburg Public Library Saturday, July 10 from 11 to noon on open water swimming and about her books at 1 p.m.