Katie Pumphrey, Maryland native, undergoes 20-mile swimathon off the coast of Los Angeles
BALTIMORE -- A month after completing a 24-mile swim from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Katie Pumphrey took on another swimathon. Pumphrey is undergoing a 20-mile swim from Cantina Island to Rancho Palos Verdes, a city on the coast of south Los Angeles.
Pumphrey began her journey through the North Pacific Ocean at 10:30 Sunday night. Her swim is estimated to take 12 to 13 hours to complete.
She will be accompanied by a three-man crew, including her husband and two kayakers. A 65-foot dive boat will pilot the mission.
This will be Pumphrey's second time completing the swim, the first time being in 2018.
"The Catalina Channel is truly so beautiful & it was such an amazing swim when I did it in 2018 - with bioluminescence sparkles in the water every stroke in the night hours, the most beautiful sunrise, huge schools of fish, a giant pod of dolphins, and gorgeous water," Pumphrey said. "I am excited to revisit this swim with so much more knowledge, experience, and confidence. Every swim is unique - even in the same stretch of water- so I can't wait!"
To track Katie Pumphry's progress in real-time, click the link here.
This time around Katie brought a piece of Charm City with her
For this swim, Katie wore a black and yellow swimsuit, resembling the Baltimore flag, with unique imagery showcasing Charm City's culture. The Maryland blue crab, the black-eyed Susan, and the legendary Baltimore salt box are just a few of the objects scattered over Pumphrey's swimsuit. It was designed by Sarah Bolton, a Baltimore-based illustrator.
In 2021, Pumphrey became the 73rd woman in history to complete The Three Swims, the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.
The Triple Crown is a marathon swimming contest in the English Channel between England and France, the Catalina Channel in California, and a 28.5-mile swim in Manhattan, New York City.
To help support the history maker's 2024 swim season and future endeavors, you can donate to her gofundme. With a goal of $15,000, 10% of all funds collected will be donated to the Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong Key Bridge Fund.
