Swimmer Katie Pumphrey launches Baltimore-based waterway access-focused nonprofit

BALTIMORE, MD (WBFF) — Openwater swimmer and artist Katie Pumphrey is launching a nonprofit focused on widening access to Baltimore’s waterways while advancing water safety and environmental awareness.

Pumphrey announced the creation of Baltimore Open Water Swimmers, or BOWS, in a social media video Thursday alongside plans for the inaugural Baltimore Harbor 1-Mile Swim on June 7.

The nonprofit’s mission is to build an inclusive community around open-water swimming while advocating for safe, healthy and accessible waterways. Through organized swims, partnerships and community events, BOWS hopes to encourage more residents to engage with Baltimore’s harbor and surrounding waterways.

The June event is expected to be the first organized open-water swim in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in decades. Organizers said 100 qualified swimmers ages 18 and older will participate in the one-mile course, which begins at Bond Street Wharf, heads toward Point Park and loops back to the finish line.

Read the full story on the Baltimore Sun.