Ultramarathon swimmer Katie Humphrey will swim from the Bay Bridge to Harborplace in June.

Press release from the Baltimore Waterfront Partnership:

Artist and ultramarathon open water swimmer Katie Pumphrey The City of Baltimore today announced plans to celebrate Baltimore's recently announced swimmability milestone with a historic 24-mile “Bay to Baltimore” swim in late June from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Harborplace in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

“The Bay to Baltimore Swim is in many ways a love letter to the city of Baltimore.” Pumphrey“I can't wait to swim home to Baltimore and truly celebrate this huge milestone for our city. Becoming the first person in history to complete a swim of this magnitude in these waters is something I've dreamed of for many years.”

The swim will start at Sandy Point State Park next to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and end at Harborplace Amphitheater in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Based on optimal tides and water temperatures, and in consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard Maryland Sector, the swim window will be June 24-27, 2024, with official swim dates determined based on ideal weather and swimming conditions. Rainfall also plays a large role in determining swim dates. As with any body of water, swimming should not occur for 48 hours after any heavy rainfall due to polluted runoff that can affect water quality.

“Katie's enthusiasm for Baltimore is infectious and her drive to continue chasing her dreams with one open swimming competition after another is inspiring. The Waterfront Partnership is proud to support her as she brings attention to swimming and recreation in Baltimore Harbor.” Adam Lindquist, vice president of the Waterfront Partnership, sponsor of the Bay to Baltimore swim meet..

To ensure a safe and successful swim, Freedom Boat Club will provide two support boats, with Freedom Boat Club captains Todd Nixanti and Allen Rex and Boat Baltimore Sail Local captain Bobby Lappin taking turns to captain and steer the swim. Katy will have a support crew of six to eight people. Several members of the crew will take turns paddling the kayaks during the swim, and two support swimmers will alternate between swimming with Pumphrey at times. Two observers from the crew will also record and verify that the swim complies with the rules and regulations of the Marathon Swimmers Federation (MSF). Pending MSF approval, this will officially record the swim and serve as a guide for future marathon swimmers who want to attempt the 24-mile swim. To close out the final mile of the swim, Baltimore's Mr. Trash Wheel will join the flotilla to support Pumphrey. The Waterfront Partnership and Pumphrey invite the public to follow Pumphrey's progress through a live tracker on the swim's website and to cheer him on at the finish line celebration at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater between the pavilions at HarborPlace.

Born and raised in Maryland, Pumphrey began swimming competitively at age 5 and completed her first official open water swim, the 4.4-mile Chesapeake Bay Swim, in 2010, and has since completed several major open water swims, including two English Channel Swims in 2015 and 2022, a Circumnavigation of Manhattan Island in 2017, and a Catalina Channel Swim in 2018. These three swims make up the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, making Pumphrey the 194th person in the world and 73rd woman to achieve the honor.

Open water swimming is all about teamwork and has several logistical requirements to be successful. A fundraising page has been set up to help with the costs of Pumphrey's “Bay to Baltimore” swim, with 10 percent of proceeds going to the Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong Key Bridge Fund, established by the Baltimore Community Foundation.

Going forward, Pumphrey plans to partner with other Baltimore organizations to launch a swimming event series in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, with swims of various distances ranging from one mile to marathon distance, including the 24-mile Bay to Baltimore Swim for experienced open water swimmers.

If you would like to support the Bay to Baltimore Swim or learn more, source:.

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