Maya Merhige, 16, to Tackle English Channel & Earn Triple Crown In Aid Of Cancer Research
Maya Merhige, who lives in Berkeley, California, Aims to Be One of the Youngest to Complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming While Raising Funds for Swim Across America – which takes up the story here…
Words and images courtesy of Jeni Howard and Liz Tung
Maya Merhige is just 16 years old, but she has spent more than half of her life conquering open water marathon swims to raise funds and awareness for cancer research with the nonprofit Swim Across America.
This year, she’s taking on one of the most iconic and challenging swims in the world: the English Channel.
The English Channel swim (20.5 miles or 33 km) is the third leg of the coveted Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming and will make Maya one of the youngest swimmers in history to accomplish this feat. Maya plans on swimming the English Channel between July 10 and 20, 2024, depending on when conditions are the most favorable.
Maya earned her stripes toward the Triple Crown by also completing the Catalina Channel and Manhattan 20 Bridges swims. In September 2021, at 14 years old, Maya broke the record as the youngest woman in history to successfully swim the 20-mile Catalina Channel, finishing in 10 hours and 48 minutes.
In 2023, at 15 years old, Maya was one of the youngest swimmers to successfully complete the 28.5-mile 20 Bridges swim around Manhattan Island, which took her 8 hours and 43 minutes.
Maya also holds the world record as the youngest woman to swim the 21-mile length, 12-mile width, and 10.8-mile Vikingsholm courses of Lake Tahoe, earning her the Tahoe Triple Crown. She also became the youngest swimmer in the world to successfully swim the gruelling 26-mile Kaiwi Molokai Channel, between the Hawaiian Islands of Molokai and Oahu, which she completed in 27 hrs and 33 mins.
Maya also holds a record for the longest duration and joined the ranks of the “24-Hour Club” with the 108th longest non-stop open water swim ever. Says Maya Merhige:
“This year is special for many reasons. This year marks my ninth year participating with Swim Across America. With the generous support of family, friends and others, I have been able to raise more than $90,000 to fight cancer, which has gone directly to the Swim Across America – San Francisco beneficiary UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. This past year I’ve also endured some health battles of my own, and my personal experience has made me even more inspired and passionate about supporting UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. I’m also going to be a senior in high school this fall and next year will look very different for me as I will leave home to start college. So this is the year to swim the English Channel!”
Maya Merhige. Photo: aya Merhige gets set for the long haul on Lake Tahoe – photo by Liz Tung, courtesy of Swim Across America
Maya’s journey began at just nine years old with the Swim Across America – San Francisco open water swim when she joined Team Susan Survives!, for her dear family friend and three-time cancer survivor Susan Helmrich.
The San Francisco swim raises funds for pediatric cancer research, supporting the work of Dr. Julie Saba and Dr. Robert Goldsby at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, which has been a leader in pediatric cancer research and treatment for decades, significantly increasing cure rates and improving the future for thousands of patients worldwide. UCSF’s advances in treating leukemia and other cancers have contributed to the overall five-year survival rate for childhood cancer rising to nearly 85% today, up from 10% in the 1970s.
Despite this progress, childhood cancer is still a challenge and can have lasting effects on patients and their families. UCSF continues to study these long-term consequences. The partnership between Swim Across America and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals is essential for advancing cancer research and care. Says Maya:
“Serving my second year as president of the Swim Across America – San Francisco Junior Advisory Board, my goal is to raise $35,000 this year with the English Channel swim and the San Francisco swim, which will bring the total I’ve been able to raise to more than $125,000 to support cancer research for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.
“I’d especially like to thank Dr. Julie Saba, director of the Swim Across America Research Lab at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, for her continued support throughout my own health challenges. For that, I am forever grateful and inspired to raise even more for Swim Across America and UCSF through my swimming.”
Maya Merhige. Photo: Maya with parents Liz and Chris – San Francisco Swim Across America – photo by Jeni Howard
Maya’s own medical challenges began in March 2023, when after suffering a ski crash, a benign tumor on her pancreas was discovered. Suffering from chronic pain since, she has a newfound empathy for pediatric cancer patients who endure endless procedures and appointments.
Despite these challenges, Maya remains undeterred. “I’ve not been able to swim for the past month due to the pain I was experiencing, so I’m now having to re-train for the English Channel,” she shared. “This is another one of those unique challenges this year, but I am determined to succeed.”
Maya also plans to participate in the Swim Across America – San Francisco open water swim on October 5, 2024, swimming with her team Chasing Channels, made up of other Swim Across America – San Francisco Junior Advisory Board members and Bay Area youth. One tradition Maya has is to write the names of friends and family members battling cancer on her swim cap. She said:
“I am honored to carry the names of friends and family members affected by cancer on my cap. I’m going to keep swimming to raise awareness and funds for fighting cancer until we have a cure.”
Maya Merhige. Photo: If the Cap Fits – by Liz Tung
Thank you to Jeni Howard, of Swim Across America and for sharing Maya’s stirring story and efforts in the fight against cancer
To learn more about Maya swimming the English Channel and to make a donation to Swim Across America, visit swimacrossamerica.org/maya.
Swim Across America
Swim Across America is a national organization and offers open water and pool swims in 24 communities, from Boston Harbor to under the Golden Gate Bridge. Founded in 1987, Swim Across America has raised more than $100 million in the fight against cancer. Funds raised by Swim Across America and its grants have helped support the research and clinical trials for FDA approved immunotherapy medicines, including Keytruda, Opdivo, Yervoy and Tecentriq.
Swim Across America is also a grant funder of the successful clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering that was published inThe New England Journal of Medicine and showed a 100 percent success rate in treating patients in a phase 2 clinical trial for advanced rectal cancer with dostarlimab. Swim Across America grants support more than 60 projects each year and there are ten named Swim Across America Labs at major institutions including: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, John Hopkins Medicine Baltimore, Rush in Chicago, Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, Infusion Center at Nantucket Cottage Hospital, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and San Francisco, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, The Swim Across America Pediatric Research Lab at Columbia University Medical Center New York, and at Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine.
More than 150 Olympians support Swim Across America, including Kate Douglass, Michael Phelps, Craig Beardsley, Elizabeth Beisel, Missy Franklin, Ryan Held, Gretchen Walsh, Donna de Varona, Rowdy Gaines, Janel Jorgensen McArdle, Bobby Hackett, Ryan Lochte, Glenn Mills, Cristina Teuscher and many more.
Swim Across America, Inc. (SAA) raises money and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment through swimming-related events. With the help of volunteers, and Olympians, Swim Across America is an innovator and leader in giving hope to those fighting cancer. To learn more visit swimacrossamerica.org, Facebook @SwimAcrossAmerica, and Instagram and Twitter @SAASwim.