Professor Trash Wheel has been on a short sabbatical, but she returns to the Baltimore Harbor on Thursday, July 2, and she will be accompanied by a very special teaching assistant: Katie Pumphrey.
After several weeks away for repairs, Professor Trash Wheel will resume her post with the help of Pumphrey, an ultra-marathon open-water swimmer, artist, and founder of Baltimore Open Water Swimmers. This will be a one-of-a-kind moment bringing together two of Baltimore’s most iconic clean-water champions.
Professor Trash Wheel is a beloved member of Baltimore’s Trash Wheel Family, stopping litter and debris from flowing into the Chesapeake Bay. The professor performs her duties in Harris Creek in Canton. She is not a fan of low tides, heavy winds, or the patriarchy, so men who approach her for conversation should not be full of hot air. Unsurprisingly, Professor Trash Wheel does like women in science (colleagues, after all), Beyoncé, Eleanor Roosevelt, and sea otters. She is also cool with Thomas Dolby.
Pumphrey is a three-time English Channel swimmer and Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming finisher. She has become a leading voice in the movement to expand access to swimming to urban areas, and she serves as Sports Ambassador for the global Swimmable Cities alliance. Last year she traveled to Rotterdam to speak at the inaugural Swimmable Cities Summit. She founded Baltimore Open Water Swimmers to build an inclusive community of open water swimmers and to promote safe, healthy, and accessible waterways for all.
City schools may be on break, but students of all ages can welcome Professor Trash Wheel back to her trusty post as she resumes her job teaching litter a lesson. She and Pumphrey swim into Canton on Thursday, July 2 at 3 p.m. Boston Street Pier Park is located at 1200 Anchorage View Court.
