Marathon Swimmer Rebecca Thompson Dies During Catalina Channel Attempt
Rebecca 'Becky' Thompson, a renowned marathon swimmer, passed away at the age of 47 after suffering cardiac arrest during her attempt to swim the Catalina Channel. On July 26, Thompson was over 17 hours into the 20-mile swim when she collapsed in the water. She succumbed to a hypoxic brain injury a few days later. Thompson was known for her participation in extreme sports, having completed several notable marathon swims, including the 20 Bridges swim in New York and a pioneering 9-mile swim across Schroon Lake. She was also a member of the U.S. roster for the 2024 Ice Swimming World Championships and had completed 12 Ironman races. Outside of her athletic achievements, Thompson was a physicist with a PhD from the University of Texas and authored a series of comic books about physics. 
