Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Click To Call Regina’s Family ~ Prayers for your strength as you celebrate the life of your love one Evelyn introduced me to her sister and the kindness I remember so well I hope to see you on Sunday fir the viewing Truly a good person and friend We have been friends for over 30 years You are still the best mother and will be always Words cannot describe all the memories we shared with your family throughout the years and will be kept in our hearts We have become a family from the first day we met and our children loved each throughout the years Rest In Peace my sister and thank you for being in our lives for this moment in time We love you and your family and miss you already forever To her wonderful Family I am soo very sorry for your loss She was an Angel on earth so I know she’s with the Angels in Heaven We had so much fun working together at Early Discoveries I saw her a couple years ago while out shopping I’m so thankful for her friendship over the years.♥️🙏🏼 MRS Regina Pumphrey was a great mother and a great friend i will always cherish the talks we had on the phone and how nice of a person she was She was as great as a second mother that anybody could ever ask for and I will miss her dearly I have love for you and your family forever mrs Our thoughts and prayers are with you in your time of grief Praying for Eldon (Buddy) Pumpfrey and his family Pumphrey’s swim can be tracked on GPS at swimkatie.com Pumphrey completed a 24-mile swim from Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis to Inner Harbor Amphitheater Pumphrey will attempt this swim again in May Photos Courtesy of Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore  Founder and Publisher of SouthBMore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, father of three, amateur pizza chef, dog lover, Little League coach, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at Kevin@InceptMM.com, follow me on Twitter at @SoBoKevin, and Instagram at PizzaChannelKevin @2021 - All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by PenciDesign She was preceded in death by her husband Robert Pumphrey; parents Judith is survived by her daughter Lori (Rob) Bade; three grandchildren Pumphrey loved being a grandmother and even moved to be closer to her grandchildren from 11:00 am until 12:00 pm at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home There will be a graveside service at 12:00 pm at Jefferson Memorial Gardens with Bro This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Ultra-marathon open water swimmer and artist Katie Pumphrey kicked off her 2025 open water swim season with a six-hour swim in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on Thursday The swim serves as her official qualifying swim for her third English Channel crossing scheduled for July According to the Channel Swimming Association rules the qualifying swim must be completed in water 60 degrees or colder making this week perfect for water temperatures Pumphrey began swimming loops through the Inner Harbor at approximately 7:15 a.m from Bond Street Wharf in Fells Point and swam until about 1:15 p.m. This swim marks the beginning of Pumphrey’s season and is a crucial part of her training for the upcoming Bay to Baltimore Swim in May She aims to highlight the Inner Harbor’s progress as a safe and swimmable resource for the community Drew Pumphrey spent years bouncing from job to job before finding his calling in a Christmas gift After his parents gave him a meat smoker one year “this lightbulb went off in his head,” recalled his sister geeking out over different woods and the flavors they’d lend to meat and recruited his mother to help make sauces He traveled to North Carolina to explore its barbecue culture He eventually opened The Smoking Swine food truck which traveled around the Baltimore area before receiving a national spotlight on Guy Fieri’s “Diners The larger-than-life pit master eventually left his business behind to pursue a quieter career as a civil engineer He was in his office in Annapolis when he died Feb The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one. His death shocked longtime friends from the hospitality industry, including Sarah Simington who met Pumphrey when he was working as a bouncer at Max’s Taphouse in Fells Point the same neighborhood as her Blue Moon Diner “He was a big teddy bear,” Simington recalled of the barrel-chested man who stood around 6′3″ tall “He was such a huge personality and so positive — his energy was so good to be around,” recalled Chad Wells, chef at Walker’s Tap & Table His sister recalled how he pulled others into his orbit with his singular and larger-than-life persona “Drew was who he was and no one could tell him different,” said Paige calling her late brother “very boisterous” with “a flair for the dramatic.” His Facebook profile photo features his smiling face popping out from a barbecue window “It was a pretty swift kick to the pants about how brutal the [restaurant] industry is,” he said who is now 20 and a sous chef working in Baltimore Karen said she was drawn to her husband’s “sense of humor his ability to make everybody comfortable” and his “amazing smile.” That warmth was on full display when Pumphrey became owner of The Smoking Swine “He was in tune with his customers and just the plight of the human experience Pumphrey and Simington traveled together to feed U.S troops at Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois where he used a huge paddle to make his signature mac and cheese who worked for The Smoking Swine food truck in 2014 said whether they were working at a crowded festival or an office park Pumphrey had an ability to laugh off the most stressful of situations Showing off his dry rub recipe for celebrity chef Fieri on TV? Not a problem a bar and restaurant in Baltimore’s Brooklyn neighborhood said Pumphrey had already moved into the building when Roslan’s doughnut shop learned it would need to leave its previous location in Federal Hill Always quick to lend a hand to friends in need Pumphrey offered to share the space with Roslan “He’s the reason there is still a Diablo Doughnuts.” For two years before moving to its current home in Nottingham Diablo Doughnuts ran out of a small wing attached to the bar Pumphrey would stop in for a doughnut before getting to work making barbecue He later returned to what his sister Paige jokingly called “civilian life,” his career in civil engineering Roslan said he took heart in knowing that Pumphrey was happy with his decision to leave the food world “It seemed like there was a lot of stress off his plate.” Jacinto also credited the barbecue master with introducing him to his future wife Pumphrey “knew that we were both funny and crazy and not looking for anything serious,” Ashley said with a laugh She and Daniel have now been married almost 10 years someone stole a star shower from their front yard that they’d been using to project red and green stars onto their home Ashley had bought it as a present for Daniel They couldn’t believe someone had been such a Scrooge as to nab it and she posted about the theft on Facebook Pumphrey pulled up in his big huge maroon pick-up truck with a Christmas gift: a new star shower for their front yard Christina Tkacik christina.tkacik@thebaltimorebanner.com Christina Tkacik is a food reporter for The Baltimore Banner Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policies The Baltimore Banner is a trademark registered in the U.S for The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism Statement from Executive Vice President and General Manager Eric DeCosta pic.twitter.com/TNQrqw3me2 Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policies Click here to view our Terms of Sale.\n \n Click here to learn more about supporting local journalism.\n Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes. If the problem persists, please contact customer service at 443-843-0043 or customercare@thebaltimorebanner.com Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here BALTIMORE — The ultra-marathon open water swimmer that swam 24-miles from the Chesapeake Bay to the Inner Harbor announced she'll be doing it again Katie Pumphrey completed the first swim in 2024 She started the swim at three in the morning and didn't finish until five in the afternoon She stands alone as the only person to complete this 24-mile Pumphrey said the hardest part of last year's swim came towards the end once fatigue set in and the current was fighting against her What kept her going was the surprise of a big pirate ship filled with friends and family Once she arrived to the finish line at the Inner Harbor she was greeted with an overwhelming scene RELATED: Katie Pumphrey says the Bay to Baltimore swim was the " toughest thing I've ever done" These events bring awareness to the ongoing efforts to make Baltimore's harbor safe to swim in the Waterfront Partnership started working on creating a swimmable harbor the harbor held its first public swimming event in over 40 years “The Bay to Baltimore swim is not just a personal challenge—it’s about celebrating our city’s progress and encouraging more people to experience recreation on the water,” Pumphrey said Pumphrey will have two support boats from the Freedom Boat Club to help pilot the swim Katie Pumphrey, an artist and athlete who last year completed a historic swim from the Chesapeake Bay to the Inner Harbor said she pretty much decided to do the 24-mile swim a second time “immediately after finishing.” I’m usually doing a couple a season,“ Pumphrey said Pumphrey made history last year when she swam from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the Harborplace Amphitheater. It took her just under 14 hours in warm water and with a disadvantageous tide Pumphrey is doing the swim earlier in the year And she’s going to start the swim even earlier in the morning to try to time the tides a bit better The window she and her team have set for the swim is between May 18-23 Pumphrey is planning to enter the water around midnight The water was warmer than 80 degrees and the air temperature peaked in the 90s to do the swim again where the swim is more in my favor,” she said “That was definitely the warmest I’ve ever been Part of why she’s doing the swim a second time — in addition to being a marathon swimmer in love with her sport — is to bring attention to the health of the Inner Harbor and Chesapeake Bay she wants to help establish marathon swimming more permanently in Baltimore Making the Inner Harbor swimmable has been a long-held goal for many in Baltimore, including the Waterfront Partnership. At this point, the harbor is considered safe to swim — but only in specific places and at certain times More than 150 people jumped in the harbor last summer (just a couple of days before Pumphrey’s swim) and the Waterfront Partnership is planning another swim day this summer Pumphrey is fundraising to support her swims this season she’s got plans to swim the English Channel (for a third time) Part of the proceeds from her fundraiser will go toward establishing a nonprofit called Baltimore Open Water Swimmers (or BOWS) She wants the nonprofit to be a governing body for the Bay to Baltimore Swim and to host other open water swims and swim series Her 2025 swim season will wrap up with the opening of an art exhibit in September at the Creative Alliance is working on a solo exhibition called “Swimming Pool.” It will feature large-scale paintings When it comes time to hop in the water near the Bay Bridge and swim north toward Baltimore Pumphrey said her goal will be simple: Finish But I would definitely love a faster swim,” she said “My goal is to do the swim again and enjoy it.” Cody Boteler cody.boteler@thebaltimorebanner.com Cody Boteler is a reporter on The Banner’s Express Desk trending stories and interesting things in and around Baltimore His work has appeared in The Baltimore Sun Chris was the cherished son of Bob and Vangie Pumphrey He was the dear brother of Gretchen Pumphrey and Kyle Latevola (Vicki) and a treasured uncle to Landon Grandson of Mary Agnes Pumphrey and John & Ailene Dresp Chris worked passionately in the repossession industry leaving behind fond memories for all who knew him Funeral arrangements entrusted to Slone & Co an artist and ultra-marathon open water swimmer has announced her plans to undertake the 24-mile "Bay to Baltimore" swim for a second time The ambitious swim, which stretches from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Harborplace in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, was first completed by Pumphrey in 2024 The swim is scheduled between May 18 and 23 with the exact date dependent on optimal tides as coordinated with the United States Coast Guard Sector Maryland Water quality will also play a crucial role in determining the timing with the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore set to resume testing in early May emphasized the significance of Pumphrey's challenge "Katie’s swim is a testament to how far Baltimore has come in making our waterways more accessible for recreation," he said "Her dedication not only inspires others but also highlights the importance of continued investment in clean water efforts." The public will have the opportunity to follow Pumphrey's journey virtually through a live tracker on her website and join the celebration at the finish line at Harborplace Amphitheater. To ensure a safe and successful swim, two support boats from Freedom Boat Club, captained by Todd Nicusanti and Allan Rex, will accompany Pumphrey. Her support crew will include eight to ten people, with several members rotating kayaking duties and two support swimmers occasionally joining her in the water. An observer will document and verify the swim's adherence to the Marathon Swimmers Federation's rules. Pumphrey, who completed the swim last year in 13 hours and 54 minutes, is also seeking corporate sponsors to support the logistical needs of the swim and promote open water swimming in Baltimore. Katie Pumphrey to Replicate Bay to Baltimore Swim Katie Pumphrey is aiming to replicate her 24-mile Bay to Baltimore Swim Pumphrey announced on social media Thursday this year’s window, which will fall from May 18-23. She’ll swim from Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Harborplace in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, a swim she first completed in 2024 to highlight the Healthy Harbor Initiative’s efforts at cleaning up and revamping the waterway for public use “The Bay to Baltimore swim is not just a personal challenge—it’s about celebrating our city’s progress and encouraging more people to experience recreation on the water,” Pumphrey said in a press release “I hope this continues to inspire others to embrace the possibilities of our harbor and to be part of the movement toward a cleaner To be able to continue to celebrate and highlight Baltimore through my sport is an honor and a dream come true.” A post shared by Mr. Trash Wheel (@mrtrashwheel) weather and water quality conditions for an exact date Her website will host a live tracker to follow the swim online Pumphrey is working with Waterfront Partnership Two support boats will be provided by Freedom Boat Club led by captains Todd Nicusanti and Allan Rex “Katie’s swim is a testament to how far Baltimore has come in making our waterways more accessible for recreation,” said Adam Lindquist “Her dedication not only inspires others but also highlights the importance of continued investment in clean water efforts.” Pumphrey is an accomplished open-water swimmer, having completed the Triple Crown of the English Channel (twice), Catalina Channel and Manhattan Island. She is seeking corporate sponsors, “interested in supporting the logistical needs of the swim and contributing to the broader movement of making open water swimming more accessible in Baltimore.” More info can be found at her website, swimkatie.com Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use She’s not just a great mascot for the City of Baltimore and the state of Maryland but a terrific role model for the sport of open water swimming advocate for clean water and champion of women in sports Now let’s get some sponsors to back her up ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Thanks for visiting Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread Joan graduated from Cardinal High School in Eldon and then furthered her education at Iowa Wesleyan University in Mt Her career spanned several decades including roles at Fairfield Glove in Fairfield and culminating in 19 years at Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha Her time at Union Pacific was a source of great pride and accomplishment enjoyed music and was very involved in her church communities in Fairfield and Omaha reflecting her commitment to faith and service to be closer to her son and grandchildren who brought joy to her life Joan was married to Bill Pumphrey and they later divorced Joan's life was noted by her dedication to her career and her active participation in her church She will be deeply missed by her family and all who knew her The San Diego State Aztecs have been home to some pretty talented collegiate running backs. The first name that comes to mind, more than likely, is NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk The standout running back finished second for the 1992 Heisman trophy award and was tremendous with the Aztecs before putting up outstanding numbers at the professional level Following Faulk, Ronnie Hillman was the next standout running back at SDSU Hillman ran for more than 1,500 yards in both seasons while scoring 38 touchdowns He was an NCAA All-American in 2011 and won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos The most recent dominant Aztec running back was Rashaad Penny a current rookie in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks running for 1,005 yards and 11 touchdowns in one of college football’s best rushing attacks good for fifth all-time in a single season Penny was a first-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2018 NFL draft While the Aztecs have had some dominant collegiate running backs they all pale in comparison to what Donnel Pumphrey did in his four-year career at San Diego State Pumphrey ran the ball 1,059 times for 6,405 rushing yards and 62 touchdowns while catching 99 passes for 1,039 yards and five touchdowns Not only is he San Diego State’s all-time rushing leader but he is the FBS career rushing yard leader as well He holds three of the top ten single-season rushing totals for the Aztecs and is the school’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns scored Despite his success at the collegiate level Pumphrey’s small stature prevented him from being drafted until the Philadelphia Eagles selected him with the 132nd pick in the 2017 NFL draft After breaking camp with the Eagles as their fourth-string running back Pumphrey was placed on injured reserve after suffering a torn hamstring in practice that would eventually force him to sit out his entire rookie season he was waived by the Eagles on September 1 of 2018 The Lions signed him to their practice squad just four days later but would end up releasing him on September 25 The Eagles decided to take another shot on the 24-year-old and stashed him back onto their practice squad With Corey Clement going down Sunday’s game against the Cowboys it looked like Pumphrey would finally get his first taste of NFL Instead of promoting Pumphrey to their active roster the Eagles signed former Louisiana Tech running back Boston Scott off the New Orleans Saints practice squad as typically when teams have players on their practice squad that fit a need on their 53-man roster those players are promoted to meet that need Scott’s addition to the team over Pumphrey shows that the Eagles do not believe in Pumphrey as an NFL player he is not signed to a future contract and is released from the Eagles organization as a whole While being released is something no professional athlete wants he may find another NFL team that is willing to take a shot on him based on his collegiate track record There is also the possibility of Pumphrey returning to the city he once dominated in Immediately after the Eagles signing of Scott reports began to surface that Pumphrey was interested in returning to San Diego to play for Mike Martz and the Fleet signing with the Fleet may be a smart move for Pumphrey A strong season in the NFL’s version of the G-League may earn him a shot at cracking an NFL roster in 2019 may also ease him into a role and allow him to get a fresh start Pumphrey has not played a down of meaningful football since he left San Diego State and this may be his big chance to prove he is still a talented player This could also be a fantastic opportunity for the Fleet to get people to attend their games as Pumphrey was a fan favorite at San Diego State A return to a city that viewed him as a star would be good for both Pumphrey and the fans I would feel pretty confident in putting a big chunk of my chips into Donnel Pumphrey signing with the Fleet and making his return to San Diego Diego works at Prep Baseball Report as an Area Scout in Illinois and Missouri He graduated this spring with a Bachelor Degree in Communications and played four years of college baseball logging nearly 50 innings of work in a relief role Diego hopes to work in an MLB front office one day and has been a Padres fan since he was six years old Katie Pumphrey felt confident that she was going to finish the 24-mile swim She had good reason to be. Though it was the first time anyone swam from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the Harborplace Amphitheater in the Inner Harbor Pumphrey has the title of the triple crown of open-water swimming having previously swum through the English Channel around Manhattan Island and across the Catalina Channel in California Every swim, she said, is an emotional roller coaster. This one was extra special. I want more people to talk about how awesome it is if my swim helps to highlight everything that the city is and has been and can be — I’m just honored.” We had a lot of questions for her: Did she see any wildlife but she felt tiny jellyfish getting stuck on her swimsuit; a lot of Momofuku and Ekiben and some breakfast for dinner; yes and she told her crew each time she did too.) where so many Baltimoreans were cheering on the shore and so many at the finish .. and even other Marylanders were out on the water early in the morning and on their docks It was just — I dreamt that this would be a huge message and a huge celebration for all of Baltimore and Maryland And I think it definitely was and continues to be The Banner: Were you expecting that many people to be there to cheer you on in the end Pumphrey: I was really hoping that people would come out and people cheering as soon as I turned the corner and then the Harborplace kind of came into view one of many times in the last several hours leading up to that moment that I just started crying and especially seeing my family on the pirate ship I definitely I had to stop my goggles several times because the tears were fogging my view The Banner: What emotions did you go through during the swim Pumphrey: I always say these swims are – no matter how prepared you are or no matter how difficult or easy the conditions are – it is always a roller coaster of emotions Each of them did an hour each in earlier in the day and they did an hour each later into Baltimore Especially that second round coming into Fort McHenry it was just the gnarliest current going against me from the moment I got in that that I would finish But the heat definitely brought on a lot of emotions The Banner: What do you think about during your long swims There are definitely moments where my mind is more blank especially in all of the darkness those hours I was so focused on being able to see my crew a little bit of time for us to find a rhythm on that so the only way that I could see is he had glow sticks on the kayak and a headlamp on his head So once the boat was able to be next to me All of their light made light and shadow suddenly in the water shadows appearing in front of you in darkness and dark water definitely raised my blood pressure I was really just thinking about trying to find a rhythm in my stroke and get a good breath of air every time giant painting I’m working on that I’m hoping to have done by the end of July for the [Sondheim Art Prize] semifinalist show that I’m in That painting is based on a painting by John Singleton Copley because John Singleton Copley had never seen a shark so it looks kind of like a weird sea monster So I went back and forth from thinking about his painting to brainstorming my painting which is kind of a take on the composition of that painting and a nod to that painting but it will be more tied to swimming and what I’m seeing from the water as well as every thought that goes into my imagination and especially as the sun coming started to come up I did ask my niece Nayev to write down a few colors that I want to put into those paintings But when I looked back at the boat away from the sun and then that all combined with Joe wearing this Blaze yellow shirt Pumphrey: I definitely stopped for longer during my feeds But because I was focused on hydrating so much I just wanted to take in the moment and the view of my crew and the view of the bay I definitely took longer feed stops than I do in most swims I stopped for food and water every half hour really making sure I was getting eight to 12 ounces of water with an electrolyte mix The Banner: You said you asked people to tell jokes during these feeds like “go bae.” There were a few jokes about Old Bay and they all laughed like it was the funniest thing they’d ever heard but it was: what do you call a nosy pepper The Banner: Can you tell me about how you were eating Pumphrey: It’s a sports gel pack that has about 100 calories I had three flavors that that my team was rotating and sometimes I requested a specific flavor depending on the mood especially they put those GUs [the brand] in the cooler at some point The Banner: How many calories are you trying to intake Because I know that you’re obviously burning a lot of calories Pumphrey: I think generally it tends to be like eight to 12 ounces of water with either a protein carb mix in it The Banner: And how many hours did you sleep last night Pumphrey: Not as long as I would have liked a lot of things have opinions right now in my body but falling asleep is also a little tricky because I still feel like I’m swaying in the water because it just felt like my body was standing off an alarm bell: “What did you just do to me?” I snuggled with my dogs and FaceTimed my sister this morning I finished “Madam Secretary.” I finished it probably Saturday night Pumphrey: I have physical therapy with Mary Miller at True Sports so I’ll actually go to their Locust Point location tomorrow Recovery is as much rest and sleep and lotion as possible I absolutely want to celebrate this for a long time Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes. If the problem persists, please contact customer service at 443-843-0043 or customercare@thebaltimorebanner.com. BALTIMORE — Two days after making history as the first person to complete the Bay to Baltimore swim, Katie Pumphrey took some time to talk with WMAR-2 News about completing the 24-mile race in her hometown. "I think it was the toughest thing I've ever done," says Pumphrey. From starting at three in the morning at Chesapeake Bay Bridge, to a finish at five in the afternoon at the Inner Harbor in downtown Baltimore, Pumphrey stands alone as the only person to complete this 24-mile, near 14-hour swim. "I've been dreaming about some kind of swim here for twenty years. The more the reality of a swimmable harbor came close, progress just increased," says Pumphrey. Since 2010, the Waterfront Partnership started working on creating a swimmable harbor. Just this past Sunday, the harbor held its first public swimming event in over 40 years. Making this historic ultra-marathon swim possible. "It's our harbor. It's our resource. We should absolutely use it and I think trust science. Trust experts," says Pumphrey. Katie says she's trained for this swim for the last eight months. The swim was originally scheduled for May, but due to the Key Bridge collapse, it got pushed back to June. "The heat definitely made it significantly more challenging for me. Hydration was really big," she says. The hardest part of her swim came towards the end once fatigue set in and the current was fighting against her. What kept her going was the surprise of a big pirate ship filled with friends and family. "A lot of my swims are other cities and other countries. So, I don't get to have so many people there. They're either watching and following on the tracker watching, or getting text updates and hearing stories. But to have everyone there, to have my niece, Ella, and my nephew Miles and Brett... is really special. Just to be able to see them cheering and encouraging me to keep going with huge.," says Pumphrey. Once she arrived to the finish line at the Inner Harbor, she was greeted with an overwhelming scene. "As I rounded turn into the Harbor Place, and saw so many people at the finish with signs and cheering, it was just unbelievable. I was hoping people would come out and Baltimore showed up," says Pumphrey Since the history making achievement, Pumphrey's been overjoyed with positive messages saying how much of an inspiration she is to so many, including young girls. But, her biggest takeaway from this swim has nothing to do with her and everything to do with where she lives. "I really hope this swim highlights how amazing Baltimore is. How beautiful this city is. How much history there is here and how much is happening. There has been amazing things here for a long time and more amazing things are happening and I hope you will continue to support and celebrate Baltimore," says Pumphrey. As far as what is next for Pumphrey, her turnaround time for her next swim is a bit accelerated. She will be traveling to California for a swim July 28 going from Catalina island to Los Angeles, a 21-mile swim. Another 24-mile "Bay to Baltimore" swim is in the works for May Another 24-mile “Bay to Baltimore” swim is in the works for May Artist and ultramarathon open-water swimmer Katie Pumphrey first completed the ambitious swim which stretches from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Harborplace in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor over 150 jumped in the Harbor,” Pumphrey said “We have this enthusiasm around a healthier Harbor Not only does Pumphrey want to bring greater awareness to the ongoing water cleaning efforts to continue to make Baltimore’s harbor safe for recreation but to also inspire others so that “more people from all over will come and attempt not only the ‘Bay to Baltimore’ swim but other things and truly experience Baltimore for the magic that it is The exact date for the swim has not yet been set “Because open water is so dependent on weather and conditions there will be some great dry days in there and low wind,” Pumphrey added “Wind is a huge thing that impacts these swims.” and the flagship stations for the Baltimore Ravens Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs which means we may get paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites.©2023 on behalf of WBAL NewsRadio 1090 and FM 101.5 Darlene Jeanette Pumphrey of Brooklyn Park Justina and Ryleigh; devoted great-grandmother of Zay Roman and Mia; and dear sister of Barbara Thompson Memorial Contributions may be made in her name to your favorite S.P.C.A       Graveside Service and Interment will be held on Monday David died on August 4, 2024, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.  Condolences and memories may be shared at nodawayvalleyfuneralhome.com/ we attempt to be accurate in our reporting please contact us by emailing kmaradio@kmaland.com Email notifications are only sent once a day Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: 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 earning her the triple crown of open water swimming The Baltimore Banner was in a boat alongside Pumphrey to document her historic swim “I just swam into the best city ever,” Pumphrey said after a few moments of rest 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 felt like being on a “washing machine meets a popcorn maker,” she said 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 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 “Stuff like this makes me proud to call Baltimore my home,” said Tekeya Mayfield Mayfield found out about the event earlier today and rushed to the Inner Harbor immediately 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!” the crowd chanted as she arrived at the very edge 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 Video below: Pumphrey finishes her historic swim to the Inner Harbor Anticipation grew as Baltimore’s Waterfront Partnership members announced when Pumphrey hit the 1-mile distance mark from the finish with some kicking off their shoes and settling on beach chairs “Perfect Day” by Hoku — featured in “Legally Blonde” — sounded in the Harbor Pumphrey’s dad asked nearby kayakers if they knew his daughter she does think of “Finding Nemo” in her swims — with Mr Trash Wheel joining the last leg of the journey 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 People watched from the Morgan Stanley building near Bond Street Wharf More people lined up with signs on decks leading up to Harbor East People found shade on the steps of Harborplace as Pumphrey keeps swimming toward the Inner Harbor amphitheater ”I think it’s so great!” she said with a double thumbs up As Pumphrey gets closer to the Inner Harbor After Pumphrey met with Waterfront Partnership’s Adam Lindquist earlier this year she had one request — that she swim with 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 Fans created signs at the finish line near the center of the Inner Harbor Madoo had a special song request — “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” by Donny Osmond I really wish I knew how to swim,” she sang along Then she cheered her sister — “you’re crushing ”How could I make a man out of you?” Pumphrey mouthed back from the water the pirate ship played Queen’s classic “Bohemian Rhapsody”— the Muppets version It’s the Muppets!” one of her friends shouted Port workers honked at Pumphrey as she near the Inner Harbor “I think it’s Katie,” one of Pumphrey’s nieces said as two boats and a kayak appeared in sight One of Pumphrey’s brothers on the kayak noticed first It took a few more strokes for Pumphrey to realize Pumphrey’s family set sail aboard Urban Pirates 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 They played music and blew themed sword balloons shouted to a nearby sailboat with two younger kids She wore a bandana on her hair and had an inflatable pirate sword with her 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 They kept moving straight until they met her sister “I’m gonna get your booty!” And Katie jokingly replied “do you have any rum?” before saying: “I love you guys.” 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 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 to surprise Katie as she makes her way to the harbor Her crew had brought clown gear as a nod to people on social media trolling her but didn’t use punctuation on a key sentence — instead of saying “give her some support Pumphrey flipped over as she approached the remains of the Key Bridge 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 Pumphrey and her husband Joe Mahach crossed under the remains of the collapsed Key Bridge a few weeks ago Pumphrey was about 2.5 miles away from the remains of the bridge Pumphrey taught her how to swim and coached her in her younger years the two support boats hand over snacks and turkey sandwiches said the water was going to get much deeper as they got closer to the remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge container and cargo ships would also be roaming around 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 Some of the cargo ships are up to 900 feet long It could take them between 1 to 2 miles to stop if needed 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 a stuffed penguin that has become Pumphrey’s swimming pal Her niece Nayev gave it to her as a gift for her last marathon swim in Washington little jokes written on whiteboards — all these little things add up to keep Pumphrey going People on a sailboat started yelling: “Yay Katie Arundel Breakfast Club Swimming members who she sometimes swims with were on board They are just passing the Bayside Beach in Anne Arundel County where the water is only about 4.5 feet deep 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 The other had been following her for a while “I have swallowed so much of this water,” Pumphrey said with her trademark giggle Pumphrey turned back to the skyline of Baltimore and raised her hands in a heart shape “Mermaid off the port bow,” she yelled out (One of the rules on board: You must laugh at Pumphrey’s jokes.) Support swimmers are allowed one hour at a time and only after two hours of the swim meant to help Pumphrey pick up the pace if she needs to 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 Boyle got closer with Pumphrey during the COVID-19 pandemic She knew nothing about the sport before meeting her Pumphrey swum for about two hours when sunrise bathed the horizon 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 They can still see the lights from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Pumphrey’s stroke rate is about 56 strokes per minute 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 Her brother Chris Pumphrey kayaked near her After loading up two pontoon boats with the equipment 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 The Banner was in a second boat with additional crew members and other observers The Banner and the crew met at Pumphrey’s studio in the Crown Industrial Park A van and a driver waited to take them to the Freedom Boat Club’s Podickory Point in Annapolis The Baltimore Banner is a trademark registered in the U.S. for The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Baltimore Banner | Baltimore news, politics and Baltimore arts (@baltimorebanner) Katie is approaching the Key Bridge and the city skyline. Water temperature is 82 degrees. We are at mile 14.2 and seven and a half hours into the swim. pic.twitter.com/qZ2AouCfMl View this post on Instagram A post shared by EKIBEN (@ekibenbaltimore) I wanted to be healthier and it felt like a simple thing I could do in order to just be slightly healthier considering I broadcast games from the fifth floor of various stadiums and PressBox’s then-Hampden office was on the third floor of the building If I stay in a hotel room on the 15th floor When my family arrived at our annual summer vacation week at Sea Colony in Bethany Beach this July I realized our condo was on the ninth floor of the building where we were staying This created a near crisis of conscience for me Between going to the beach and the gym and putt-putt and taking the kids for ice cream after every meal I’d be going up and down the nine floors some five or six times a day Don’t I have an obligation to myself to attempt this One of my biggest mental health struggles is that when I start something particularly a workout or something physical the idea of just bailing on it is so appealing to me that the thought alone provides a dopamine rush There’s no way I could make it through the entire week This is where Katie Pumphrey enters into my mind My single favorite moment of 2024 (so far) in Baltimore happened on June 25 a Frederick native and Middletown graduate swam 24 miles from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the Inner Harbor Such a trek had never been attempted before She wanted to bring attention to the Harbor being declared swimmable and encourage more people to trust the science that got us to this point It was such a uniquely Baltimore moment and triggered a wonderful celebration when she reached the Inner Harbor got into the water that morning knowing damn well she could complete the swim She swam the English Channel twice and swam around the Island of Manhattan and the Catalina Channel Those three are known as the “Triple Crown” of open water swimming (She swam the Catalina Channel again later in the summer.) I couldn’t imagine what the mental health challenges of a 14-hour swim must be like I get overwhelmed by the mental health challenges of a 14-minute run I asked about it and was grateful for her honesty “My first really big marathon swim was the English Channel in 2015,” Pumphrey told me on Glenn Clark Radio June 27 “And I had kind of gotten to know the dark places of my mind into swims leading up to that one But that was the biggest introduction to the depths that our minds and feelings can go like meeting those feelings was also really hard.” Those words resonated with me not because I’ll ever know what it’s like to swim 24 miles They resonated because in my own battles with mental health difficulties meeting certain feelings has been damn near paralyzing I’ve personally lost hours — sometimes full evenings — wrestling with the introduction to intense Pumphrey has worked on how to meet those feelings as she has continued in her marathon swimming career and in coaching other swimmers as well “You want to have tools in your toolbox,” she tells them “You are going to have an emotional roller coaster no matter how confident or prepared you are And you just have to be OK feeling some of those feelings and also know that you can kind of pull yourself back to neutral … You have to be kind and gentle to yourself.” But I swear to God I thought about Katie Pumphrey telling me how reaching the Inner Harbor “was just the most magical thing I’ve ever seen.” Nine flights of stairs — up and down — 31 times each during the span of seven days was my personal swim It’s not actually an accomplishment of any sort I’m grateful to Katie Pumphrey for the inspiration It won’t be the last time I fall back on it Issue 288: August/September 2024 See all posts by Glenn Clark. 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