Todd Cameron was raised in a small town in rural Ontario, far from the ocean and tropical latitudes. His early pursuits were athletic before an injury finally settled him down to focus on writing—a yearning he has had since childhood. Influenced heavily by nautical adventure novels and a passion for sharks, he acquired his scuba certification on his 17th birthday at Fathom Five National Marine Park in Tobermory, Ontario, the freshwater diving capital of the world. Shortly thereafter he ventured south for an inaugural shark dive in The Bahamas. The experience was a life-changing dream come true—he was hooked! As a former elite athlete Todd competed successfully in open water swimming in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the Caribbean, with sponsorships from Arena Swimwear and Orca Wetsuits. He completed a 1430-mile (2300km) swim challenge to raise awareness for sharks, swimming the same distance as the Great Barrier Reef. He was the first person to swim the 9-mile (14.5km) channel between Whitsunday Island and Hamilton Island in Queensland, Australia. He retired from competitive swimming in 2015 on a high note, placing first overall back-to-back in his final three races. Todd, his wife Valerie, and daughter Isla, divide their time between the Catskill Mountains in New York and South Florida.