SPY Swimmers and Moms Represent at Bay Swim

On Sunday morning as the swimmers on both sides of the Chesapeake Bay began to make final preparations for either the One Mile Bay Challenge or the full 4.4 mile Great Chesapeake Bay Swim, three families began dividing duties and saying their goodbyes. 

Among the seven swimmers who would be participating in the day’s races, Paige Bauman was the only one heading back across the bridge to Sandy Point State Park to complete the full distance.  Her daughters, SPY Swimmers, Alden and Amalie were staying behind with their grandmother, Joan Libby, and fellow teammates Mackenzie Hite and Allison Voorhees and her mother Carolyn.  All six would be swimming the One Mile Challenge. 

The girls ranging in age from 12 to 15 years old have a lot in common.  Not only to do they spend hours and hours every season swimming with SPY, not only do they know that the life of a swimmer means early mornings, early nights and more food in a day than most people eat in a week, but the four girls also have role models in their own mothers. 

Carolyn Voorhees and Paige Bauman have both completed the full distance Bay Swim.  Paige who has completed the Bay Swim 10 times, is also a triathlete.   Mackenzie’s mom is a regular on the local triathlon circuit and member of the Annapolis Triathlon Club putting in her own hours each week swimming while adding biking and running to the mix.

On Sunday, the girls sat on the hill watching as swimmers twice their age worked themselves up into a frenzy. 

“Some people panic when they go into an open water swim,” Alden said, “But I grew up on the water, I don’t have a problem with it at all.”

While the younger girl’s chatted among themselves about their day to day lives, Alden, 15, was sizing up her competition.

“I looked around and realized that there were not that many people in my age group,” Alden said.  “And I thought maybe I would place in my age group but I had no idea I would be the third woman out of the water.” 

With a time of 19:29, Alden was the second SPY Swimmer this week to place in a Bay Swim.  Jenna Kirchoff was also the third woman out of the water in the full distance Bay Swim.

Not to be out shown by her older sister, Amalie Bauman finished the race in 22:49 and placing third in her 14 and under age group.

Mackenzie, 12,  came in right behind her in fourth place in her age group in 24:40 and to take help her teammates secure three of the top five places, Allison Voorhees came in fifth in 26:31. 

Over the summer each of the girls will continue to swim for their team but the open water aspect of the Bay Swim has peaked the interest of Alden and Mackenzie. 

Alden has agreed to team with her mom to compete in the Irongirl Triathlon as part of a mother daughter team in August and Mackenzie, having asked for special permission from race organizers because of her age is currently training for the She Rocks Triathlon in Philadelphia in August as well.

“It has been fun to see the influence we moms have had on our children,” Paige said. “For years they have come out to cheer us on in our events and it seems to have rubbed off.”

While each of the girls agrees that they really enjoy the open water swims, none of them are planning on hanging up their team suit anytime soon.  Alden has currently moved up to swimming with the National SPY team and is hoping to qualify to compete with them later this summer and the younger three are each eyeing spots on the National team as well.

Meanwhile keep an eye out for stories in the news about their three super fit and active moms and let’s not forget Grandma Joan either.