Woman who nearly lost her leg completes record swim through shark-infested waters

Kimberly Chambers is the first woman to complete the 30-mile swim

Kimberly Chambers, 38, who lives in San Francisco completed the 30-mile swim in just over 17 hours (Melanie Woodrow/ Twitter )

Kimberly Chambers has become the first woman to successfully swim from the Farallon Islands to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Chambers, 38, who lives in San Francisco completed the 30-mile swim in just over 17 hours.

She began the journey through one of the world’s most notorious crossings at 11:16pm on Friday, swimming through the night and on into the morning.

Chamber’s training partner Simon Dominguez who followed the swimmer in a boat attempted to swim the route last week to become the first person to navigate the stretch in the opposite direction.

However, his attempt was thwarted when he had to stop three miles from the end due to a great white shark, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Chambers took up swimming as a form of rehabilitation after suffering severe leg injuries when she fell down the stairs eight years ago, which nearly resulted in amputation.

By 2009 she became the sixth person to complete the Ocean’s Seven, a series of marathon swimming challenges.

A few hours after her swim, Chambers rhad to be sent to hospital due to severe dehydration. She was later discharged after receiving four bags of IV fluid.

Last month Chambers posted a video of her training in the Farallones.

The Farallon Islands off the coast of California attracts large numbers of white sharks due to its bountiful elephant seal population. The sharks seen here are among the largest in the world with some up to 19 feet long.