Swimming for Climate Action

Key Concepts

• Open Water Swimming: Swimming in natural bodies of water like oceans, lakes, and rivers, as opposed to pools. It involves unpredictable conditions and environmental factors.
• Swimmable Cities: An initiative or movement advocating for urban waterways to be clean and safe for swimming and recreation.
• Environmental Advocacy: Promoting the protection and preservation of the natural environment, often through raising awareness and taking action.
• Art and Water Integration: The practice of combining artistic creation with experiences and themes related to water and swimming.
• Anxiety and Fear Metaphor: Using the unknown and potential dangers of open water swimming as a representation of general life anxieties and fears.
• Community Engagement: Bringing people together through shared experiences, such as swimming events or art installations, to foster connection and pride in a city.
• Urban Waterway Revitalization: Efforts to clean up and improve the health and accessibility of rivers, harbors, and other water bodies within urban environments.

Katie Pumprey's Historic Swim and Artistic Journey

This summary details the remarkable achievements and multifaceted career of Katie Pumprey, an artist and swimmer who made history by being the first person to swim the 24 miles between the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Her journey highlights a deep connection to water, a passion for art, and a strong commitment to environmental advocacy.

Early Life and Artistic Aspirations

Katie Pumprey describes a lifelong affinity for water, stating she was "born a swimmer" and was immediately drawn to it. Simultaneously, she harbored a strong desire to be an artist from childhood, ultimately deciding to attend the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore to study painting. This decision led her to forgo a collegiate swim career, though she continued swimming independently.

Introduction to Open Water Swimming

A lifelong Marylander, Pumprey has strong ties to Baltimore and its Inner Harbor, with early memories of visiting the area. Her introduction to the sport of open water swimming was somewhat accidental. She discovered the Chesapeake Bay swim, a 4.4-mile event that had been established for decades, and signed up with minimal knowledge of its demands. This initial experience in 2010, despite being "the hardest thing I've ever done," ignited a passion, and she declared, "I want to do it again."

Progression in Open Water Swimming

Following her first open water swim, Pumprey set her sights on more significant challenges. She booked a swim of the English Channel in 2013, completing her first crossing in 2015. Ten years later, she has successfully swum the English Channel three times and participated in numerous other open water events, solidifying her love for the sport.

The Nature of Open Water Swimming

Pumprey contrasts pool swimming with open water swimming, emphasizing the latter's inherent unpredictability. While pool training provides a controlled environment, open water swimming involves "all of the elements, all of nature, all of the unknowns." She explains that "every body of water is different," and even familiar locations present unique challenges daily due to factors like currents, tides, wind, waves, and chop.

She acknowledges the advancements in forecasting and scientific knowledge that aid open water swimmers, but stresses that "it's still you don't necessarily know what's going to happen." This leads to a dynamic "call and response" where swimmers must constantly make adjustments. Pumprey shares a personal experience where her second attempt at the "Beta Baltimore" swim was aborted due to high winds and waves, which made it difficult for her support boat to maintain visual contact, a critical safety requirement.

Confronting Fears and Artistic Expression

A recurring theme in Pumprey's open water swims is the contemplation of what lies beneath the surface. She admits to frequently thinking, "Don't do it, Katie. Don't do it," and replaying scenes from the movie Jaws in her mind. While acknowledging that sharks are generally not interested in swimmers, the underlying concern, especially when starting a swim in darkness with no visible horizon, serves as a powerful metaphor for her artistic exploration of "anxieties and our fears in general."

Her artwork often addresses this "little monster under the bed feeling" and how individuals cope with it through "playfulness and humor." This is reflected in her use of "bright colors and pattern" in her paintings, which she states "nod to how we play in swimming," alongside acknowledging the "very real threats that are out there."

The Connection Between Art and Athletics

Pumprey draws parallels between her athletic pursuits and her large-scale paintings. The feeling of being "really small in a vast span" during swims resonates with her appreciation for large-scale art that requires the viewer to "move, to walk towards it, to walk back." She believes that the viewer's movement around a large painting alters their perception and emotional response, mirroring how her swimming experiences influence her art and her approach to life.

Case Study: "Watson and the Shark" and the Beta Baltimore Swim

Pumprey discusses her painting Watson and the Shark, which was in progress during her 2024 Beta Baltimore swim. Inspired by John Singleton Copley's 1778 painting of the same name, which depicts a true story of a 14-year-old boy attacked by a shark, Pumprey envisioned her own crew as the figures in the painting. Copley's original work was commissioned by Brooke Watson as a public service announcement against swimming in the ocean. Pumprey finds it ironic that centuries later, humanity has a "very different relationship with swimming" and a greater understanding of marine life and swimming risks.

Environmental Advocacy and Community Impact

Pumprey views her art and swimming as vehicles for "environmental advocacy," connecting with people on issues like harbor cleanup, clean waterways, and climate change. She observes that while direct discussions about environmental concerns can sometimes lead to disengagement, "sport and art has this magic to make people feel something and connect."

The Beta Baltimore swim, in particular, was instrumental in "bringing together community." This experience has led to increased engagement with schools, inspiring excitement about Baltimore's improving harbor and its potential as a tourist destination.

International Recognition and Urban Swimming Movement

Pumprey was invited to Rotterdam, Netherlands, to share her Beta Baltimore swim story. Rotterdam, a sister city to Baltimore, shares similarities in size, waterways, and industrial background. Pumprey was impressed by Rotterdam's significant investment in waterway improvement, resulting in accessible, free public swimming areas. She highlights this as an example of cities worldwide embracing the "movement of urban swimming," which is growing in cities like Paris, London, New York, and Baltimore. These cities face similar challenges with their waterways and are committed to future improvements.

Interactive Art Installation and Future Vision

For an exhibition, Pumprey aimed to create an "interactive installation" that would allow visitors to "walk and and go for a swim" using their imagination. She designed a "pool deck space" intended to be as welcoming and nostalgic as a "neighbor's block party" or a "community swim," encouraging people to "hang out by my paintings" and spend time with the artwork.

Pumprey believes that increased exposure to nature, through activities like walking and swimming, fosters greater care for the environment. She emphasizes the need to create opportunities for people to experience water. Regarding busy waterways like the Patapsco River and Baltimore's harbor, which are active ports for shipping and travel, she asserts that "there's ways to exist altogether." She is optimistic that "we're taking the steps towards that really exciting future" where swimmers can coexist safely with boat traffic and other maritime activities.