Jennifer Figge is a swimmer that the associated press reported was the first woman to swim the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Verde Islands off Africa to Trinidad. The distance of her swim was originally said to be approximately 2,100 miles and was said to take 25 days. She was escorted by a sailboat through her journey.The Chicago Tribune: Jennifer Figge (February 8, 2009)

On February 11, 2009, news agencies reported that the details of the reported story were not true. It was discovered that Figge would not have been able to swim 2,100 miles in just 25 days. In comparison, a world class swimmer such as Michael Phelps would take at least 20 days to swim a 2,100 mile distance and that would require him swimming at his fastest rate, sustained over three weeks, without stopping. It was revealed that Figge actually swam only 250 miles of the 2,100 mile distance, spending most of the time resting in a boat, waiting for appropriate weather and safe conditions.Yahoo! News: The great Atlantic Ocean swimming hoax (February 11, 2009)