Baltimore woman completes historic swim to Inner Harbor

While you were sleeping, Katie Pumphrey jumped into the dark waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

She completed a more than 24-mile swim Tuesday from Sandy Point State Park near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the Harborplace Amphitheater in the Inner Harbor.

Pumphrey, 36, is an experienced open water swimmer, having previously swum through the English Channel, around Manhattan Island and across the Catalina Channel in California, earning her the triple crown of open water swimming.

But this swim was different. It’s an obstacle of her own creation, and one she sees as her love letter to Baltimore, celebrating years of work poured into improving the harbor. Pumphrey and her crew prepared for months.

The Baltimore Banner was in a boat alongside Pumphrey to document her historic swim.

5:45 p.m. — Next up: The Catalina Channel

“I just swam into the best city ever,” Pumphrey said after a few moments of rest. “I’m so honored to do this swim.”

Sitting in the bow of her boat, Pumphrey dreamt of championing Baltimore and women through this swim. She tried to take time to look around at the people on the piers and docks.

Being in the water, though, felt like being on a “washing machine meets a popcorn maker,” she said. In July, she will swim at the Catalina Channel in California.

The swim across the Catalina Channel also starts in the dark. But this morning’s sunrise was something special.

“Seeing the lighthouse and the bridge this morning was awesome,” Pumphrey said. ”It was one of the best days of my life.”

Until then, she is going to celebrate with her crew and her family.

Fans asked for pictures as a few tears of joy rolled down her cheeks. Waving to friends and family, a smile did not leave her face.

“Stuff like this makes me proud to call Baltimore my home,” said Tekeya Mayfield, 44, a lifelong Baltimorean. “I can’t do one lap, and she did 24 miles!”

Mayfield found out about the event earlier today and rushed to the Inner Harbor immediately. She did not want to miss this.

“She’s fearless,” said Jeremiah Harris, her 10-year-old son.

5:13 p.m. — She did it!

A little after 5 p.m., the landing in front of the Inner Harbor’s amphitheater was packed with people lined up to see her arrive. The sound of boat horns and helicopters rang out as she swum the final stretch.

Her family moved up to watch Pumphrey reach the finish line. “Katie! Katie! Katie!” the crowd chanted as she arrived at the very edge.

In under 14 hours, Pumphrey completed the swim at 5:13 p.m. The crowd grew louder as she climbed out of the water onto her team’s support boat.

“How you guys doing?” Pumphrey asks the crowd after taking a breath.

The audience cheered.

Video below: Pumphrey finishes her historic swim to the Inner Harbor

5:07 p.m. — Katie nears the finish line

Anticipation grew as Baltimore’s Waterfront Partnership members announced when Pumphrey hit the 1-mile distance mark from the finish.

People gathered closer to the water, with some kicking off their shoes and settling on beach chairs. As the pirate ship got closer to Pier 5, “Perfect Day” by Hoku — featured in “Legally Blonde” — sounded in the Harbor.

Pumphrey’s dad asked nearby kayakers if they knew his daughter. Her niece waved a red bandana.

Meanwhile, Pumphrey kept swimming — yes, she does think of “Finding Nemo” in her swims — with Mr. Trash Wheel joining the last leg of the journey.

4:40 p.m. — ‘Just keep swimming’

Jack Pumphrey hung out in the bow of a ship following the final leg of Katie Pumphrey’s swim, with a beer koozie that reads “Swim Katie.” It’s a memento from her 2015 English Channel swim.

He yelled out to onlookers in a nearby small boat, “I’m Katie’s dad!”

People watched from the Morgan Stanley building near Bond Street Wharf. They waived to the pirate ship. More people lined up with signs on decks leading up to Harbor East.

”This is crazy,” Laura Madoo said.

People found shade on the steps of Harborplace as Pumphrey keeps swimming toward the Inner Harbor amphitheater.

Former state Del. Maggie McIntosh, who represented Maryland’s 43rd district, was at the harbor supporting Pumphrey.

”I think it’s so great!” she said with a double thumbs up.

4:20 p.m. — Ahoy! Domino Sugar is ahead

As Pumphrey gets closer to the Inner Harbor, familiar signage lay ahead.

First, Under Armour’s headquarters. Next, Baltimore’s Landmark Domino Sugar, where the old production factory sits. Even Mr. Trash Wheel was in sight.

After Pumphrey met with Waterfront Partnership’s Adam Lindquist earlier this year, she had one request — that she swim with Mr. Trash Wheel toward her last mile.

“It’s Mr. Trash Wheel!” Pumphrey family members cheered as Pumphrey passed the cleaning machine.

The water temperature as she reached Locust Point was 81.5 degrees.

3:48 p.m. — 12 hours later …

Roughly 12 hours after departure, Pumphrey and her crew passed Fort McHenry. Three kayakers trailed behind her. Fans created signs at the finish line near the center of the Inner Harbor, where materials were all laid out.

Around 3:21 p.m., Madoo had a special song request — “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” by Donny Osmond, featured in “Mulan.”

”Now, I really wish I knew how to swim,” she sang along. Then she cheered her sister — “you’re crushing, Katie!” A support swimmer jumped in.

”How could I make a man out of you?” Pumphrey mouthed back from the water.

She and Pumphrey like to duet, Madoo said. They like to sing that one together.

”Good song choice,” she said. “It’s almost like I know her.”

At 3:57 p.m., the pirate ship played Queen’s classic “Bohemian Rhapsody”— the Muppets version. ”Katie! It’s the Muppets!” one of her friends shouted. Pumphrey cheered from the water.

Port workers honked at Pumphrey as she near the Inner Harbor.

2:53 p.m. — The pirate ship’s booty

“I think it’s Katie,” one of Pumphrey’s nieces said as two boats and a kayak appeared in sight. As the pirate ship got closer, her family began to cheer.

One of Pumphrey’s brothers on the kayak noticed first. He raised the paddle in the air.

It took a few more strokes for Pumphrey to realize. When she did, she folded her arms over her head, in the shape of a heart.

Pumphrey’s family set sail aboard Urban Pirates, a staple in Fells Point, around 2:20 p.m., with many members wearing an orange shirt featuring art for the swim — a woman swimming with Mr. Trash Wheel and a Maryland flag behind her. Some dressed up as pirates. They played music and blew themed sword balloons.

“Rrrrrrr,” Madoo, Pumphrey’s older sister, shouted to a nearby sailboat with two younger kids. She wore a bandana on her hair and had an inflatable pirate sword with her. “Give me your goodies.”

She and her sister are big on dressing up and having parties. Pumphrey had a fundraiser at a pirate ship for her first English Channel swim.

It all came together in the past week, Madoo said. She wasn’t sure why a pirate ship, but it felt right. They kept moving straight until they met her sister, she said.

Someone even yelled, “I’m gonna get your booty!” And Katie jokingly replied, “do you have any rum?” before saying: “I love you guys.”

2:13 p.m. — The tide is turning

On the dock near Pitango Bakery and Cafe, Jack Pumphrey said he was a little nervous when his daughter first told him about her plan. ”But I’m a believer in Katie Pumphrey,” he said.

Awaiting her arrival in a shirt that read “Katie Pumphrey’s Bay to Baltimore,” Jack knows many have grown up with a stigma around the harbor. ”No pun intended, but the tide is turning,” he said. “We all need to be a part of it.”

By that, he means he wants all Baltimoreans to not throw trash down storm drains and help keep the waterways clean. He has been getting frequent updates from his sons who are part of her crew. ”She had a favorable ride for a really long time,” he said. They are close to Fort McHenry.

A quarter after 2 p.m., her parents, stepparents, cousins, nieces and nephews boarded Urban Pirate, a boat tour staple in Fells Point, to surprise Katie as she makes her way to the harbor. ”She has no idea,” her father said.

1:08 p.m. — Clowning around

Her crew had brought clown gear as a nod to people on social media trolling her. One man was defending her in the comments, her friends said, but didn’t use punctuation on a key sentence — instead of saying “give her some support, clowns,” he said, “give her some support clowns.”

And so they did.

12:50 p.m. — Last third of the swim

Pumphrey flipped over as she approached the remains of the Key Bridge, swimming the backstroke. Her friend Stephanie Boyle said it’s because she likes looking at the bridge.

The bridge marked two-thirds of the course, about four more hours to the finish. Her swim was tracked in real time for people to follow along.

11:26 a.m. — 14 miles down

About 7 1/2 hours into the swim, Pumphrey was at mile 14.2.

11:16 a.m. — Approaching the Key Bridge

While preparing for the swim, Pumphrey and her husband Joe Mahach crossed under the remains of the collapsed Key Bridge a few weeks ago. It had been eerie then, Mahach said.

Pumphrey was about 2.5 miles away from the remains of the bridge.

10:33 a.m. — Free Ekiben

10 a.m. — Snack break

Nayev Pumphrey, who is studying marine biology, was kayaking near her aunt. Pumphrey taught her how to swim and coached her in her younger years.

Nearing eight hours in the water, the two support boats hand over snacks and turkey sandwiches.

9:38 a.m. — Charting the course

Bobby LaPin, one of the boat captains, said the water was going to get much deeper as they got closer to the remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Tugboats, container and cargo ships would also be roaming around, he said. The U.S. Coast Guard let them know it would offer some support and let other boats know what Pumphrey was doing so she could get across the channel.

“If she stays out of the channel, it makes her swim much, much longer,” he said.

Some of the cargo ships are up to 900 feet long, going about 12 knots. It could take them between 1 to 2 miles to stop if needed, he said.

After passing the channel, she would probably get past Dundalk and the terminal that the Dali cargo ship sailed out of on Monday. Then after that, Fort McHenry.

9:20 a.m. — George

George, a stuffed penguin that has become Pumphrey’s swimming pal, made an appearance. Her niece Nayev gave it to her as a gift for her last marathon swim in Washington, D.C.

George, supporters in nearby boats, little jokes written on whiteboards — all these little things add up to keep Pumphrey going.

8:45 a.m. — ‘She’s doing great!’

People on a sailboat started yelling: “Yay Katie! ABC is with you!”

Arundel Breakfast Club Swimming members who she sometimes swims with were on board.

“Long day! She’s doing great!”

As visitors come, though, they need to be 50 yards away.

8:17 a.m. — Cheers from the shore

They are just passing the Bayside Beach in Anne Arundel County, where the water is only about 4.5 feet deep. Residents on the beach rang a bell, and their cheers were loud enough to be heard in the boats.

A paddleboarder and a person in a kayak were nearby in the water.

“Heck yeah!” one of them said when asked if they came out to see Pumphrey. They came from Fort Smallwood Park to see her.

“I promise I won’t get in the way! I just wanted to watch!” one of them said. The other had been following her for a while. They woke up at 5 a.m. to see her tracker.

8:02 a.m. — Mermaid jokes

With a hazy Baltimore skyline ahead, Pumphrey took a short break to hydrate. Mahach sent her a cola-flavored water.

“I have swallowed so much of this water,” Pumphrey said with her trademark giggle, indicating she’s ingested bits of the bay.

“It’s getting fresher,” Sarah Eikrem, a support swimmer, joked.

You guys are doing great, her husband told them.

Pumphrey turned back to the skyline of Baltimore and raised her hands in a heart shape. Then, she brought them together, as if she was holding a telescope.

“Mermaid off the port bow,” she yelled out.

(One of the rules on board: You must laugh at Pumphrey’s jokes.)

7:25 a.m. — Support swimmers

A support swimmer, Eikrem, jumped in to swim along with Pumphrey. Support swimmers are allowed one hour at a time and only after two hours of the swim.

They can’t touch Pumphrey. They are mainly an emotional support, meant to help Pumphrey pick up the pace if she needs to. Eikrem jumped in for fun.

6:42 a.m. — Logging water and wind

Boyle was in the second boat recording the number of strokes per minute, water and air temperature and the direction of the wind. It’s the standard Marathon Swimmers Federation observation log.

She will also note if they see a landmark or if the water is choppy, when kayakers switch and when support swimmers go in and out of the water.

The log will be for other people to use in the future if the swim gets ratified, legitimizing the swim.

Boyle got closer with Pumphrey during the COVID-19 pandemic. She knew nothing about the sport before meeting her.

5:38 a.m. — Sunrise on the bay

Pumphrey swum for about two hours when sunrise bathed the horizon. She is usually super focused until then, focusing on her stroke as she tries not to let her imagination go wild in the darkness.

“Sunrise is usually a pretty magical experience with any swim that starts in the dark,” she said in an interview with The Banner. It’s a “lovely prize.”

4:32 a.m. — Steady cadence

A subtle pink morning sky approaches. They can still see the lights from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Pumphrey’s stroke rate is about 56 strokes per minute.

3:19:59 a.m. — Official start time

A horn blew as she began walking from the shoreline, her crew — made up of loved ones — cheered for her. She walked until the water reached her thighs, adjusted her cap and went underwater. Her brother Chris Pumphrey kayaked near her, wearing a headlight to help guide her.

“There it goes,” said Mahach, her husband and crew chief. “The very first stroke.”

2:40 a.m. — Loading up in boats

After loading up two pontoon boats with the equipment, the crew set off from the shore. Before jumping in the water, Pumphrey hugged and kissed her husband.

The primary boat had her husband, the crew chief; Caroline Block, an open water swimmer who would observe the swim for data logging and to make sure she follows the rules; her brothers Chris and Sean, who would alternate kayaking alongside her; her niece Nayev; and her friends Meaghan Carpenter and Eikrem, who would be her support swimmers.

The Banner was in a second boat with additional crew members and other observers.

12:45 a.m. — Early start

The Banner and the crew met at Pumphrey’s studio in the Crown Industrial Park, an old warehouse complex. A van and a driver waited to take them to the Freedom Boat Club’s Podickory Point in Annapolis. It can be a 50-minute drive to the marina.