St. Louis County Library Authors @ The J Presents Record-Breaking Long Distance Swimmer Lynne Cox

Creve Coeur MO

17 June, 2022

8:02 AM

Description

Press release from the St. Louis County Library: June 16, 2022 St. Louis County Library and the JCC of St. Louis are pleased to host an SLCL Authors @ the J event with Lynne Cox, world record-breaking long-distance swimmer and bestselling author. Cox will discuss her new memoir about working with champion rescue dogs, "Tales of Al: The Water Rescue Dog," in conversation with HEC Media host and senior rescue dog advocate Julie Tristan. Thursday, June 23, at 7:00 p.m. at the JCC's Staenberg Family Center – Mirowitz Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146. The program is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase at the event from Left Bank Books. Lynne Cox—acclaimed best-selling author of "Swimming to Antarctica"—is internationally famous for swimming the world's most difficult waterways. Lynne recognizes and celebrates all forms of athleticism in others, human or otherwise. And when she saw a video of a Newfoundland dog leaping from an airborne helicopter into Italian waters to save someone from drowning, Cox was transfixed by the rescue, and captivated by the magnificence, physicality, and daring of the dog. In Cox's latest memoir, she shares the inspiring story of Al, the unruly, irresistible Newfoundland puppy who grows up to become a daring rescue dog and super athlete—part of an elite, highly specialized corps of water rescue dogs. During Cox's adventures on Italy's picturesque Lake Idroscalo, she was witness to the rigorous training at SICS, the famed school that has taught hundreds of dog owners how to train their dogs—Newfoundlands, German shepherds, and golden retrievers—for rescue operations. Cox writes about coming to know the adorable, untrainable puppy Al and about the dreams, expectations, disappointments, and vision of her trainer who recognized the dog's full potential and led her become an expertly trained, highly specialized water rescue dog. Lynne Cox is an American long-distance open-water swimmer, motivational speaker, and author. Cox is best known for her 1987 swim across the Bering Strait; an audacious act that opened the border between the US and Soviet Union. She twice held the overall record for the fastest crossing of the English Channel from England to France – achieving her first record as the youngest and fastest in 1972. Lynne's bestselling books, including the groundbreaking sports memoir "Swimming to Antarctica," have documented her extraordinary athletic accomplishments and adventures. Among her awards are Los Angeles Times Woman of the Year, Glamour Magazine Woman of the Year, University of California Santa Barbara Award for Courage, and induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Program sites are accessible. With at least two weeks' notice, accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities. Call 314-994-3300 or contact us. This press release was produced by the St. Louis County Library. The views expressed here are the author's own.