Maya Merhige, who lives in Berkeley, California, Goals to Be One of many Youngest to Full the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming Whereas Elevating Funds for Swim Throughout America – which takes up the story right here…
Phrases and pictures courtesy of Jeni Howard and Liz Tung
Maya Merhige is simply 16 years outdated, however she has spent greater than half of her life conquering open water marathon swims to boost funds and consciousness for most cancers analysis with the nonprofit Swim Throughout America.
This 12 months, she’s taking over one of the crucial iconic and difficult swims on this planet: 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 can make Maya one of many youngest swimmers in historical past to perform this feat. Maya plans on swimming the English Channel between July 10 and 20, 2024, relying on when circumstances are probably the most favorable.
Maya earned her stripes towards the Triple Crown by additionally finishing the Catalina Channel and Manhattan 20 Bridges swims. In September 2021, at 14 years outdated, Maya broke the report because the youngest lady in historical past to efficiently swim the 20-mile Catalina Channel, ending in 10 hours and 48 minutes.
In 2023, at 15 years outdated, Maya was one of many youngest swimmers to efficiently full the 28.5-mile 20 Bridges swim round Manhattan Island, which took her 8 hours and 43 minutes.
Maya additionally holds the world report because the youngest lady to swim the 21-mile size, 12-mile width, and 10.8-mile Vikingsholm programs of Lake Tahoe, incomes her the Tahoe Triple Crown. She additionally grew to become the youngest swimmer on this planet to efficiently swim the gruelling 26-mile Kaiwi Molokai Channel, between the Hawaiian Islands of Molokai and Oahu, which she accomplished in 27 hrs and 33 minutes.
Maya additionally holds a report for the longest period and joined the ranks of the “24-Hour Membership” with the 108th longest continuous open water swim ever. Says Maya Merhige:
“This 12 months is particular for a lot of causes. This 12 months marks my ninth 12 months taking part with Swim Throughout America. With the beneficiant help of household, buddies and others, I’ve been capable of elevate greater than $90,000 to struggle most cancers, which has gone on to the Swim Throughout America – San Francisco beneficiary UCSF Benioff Youngsters’s Hospitals. This previous 12 months I’ve additionally endured some well being battles of my very own, and my private expertise has made me much more impressed and obsessed with supporting UCSF Benioff Youngsters’s Hospitals. I’m additionally going to be a senior in highschool this fall and subsequent 12 months will look very totally different for me as I’ll go away dwelling to begin school. So that is the 12 months to swim the English Channel!”
Maya Merhige. Picture: aya Merhige will get set for the lengthy haul on Lake Tahoe – photograph by Liz Tung, courtesy of Swim Throughout America
Maya’s journey started at simply 9 years outdated with the Swim Throughout America – San Francisco open water swim when she joined Group Susan Survives!, for her expensive household good friend and three-time most cancers survivor Susan Helmrich.
The San Francisco swim raises funds for pediatric most cancers analysis, supporting the work of Dr. Julie Saba and Dr. Robert Goldsby at UCSF Benioff Youngsters’s Hospitals, which has been a frontrunner in pediatric most cancers analysis and remedy for many years, considerably rising treatment charges and bettering the long run for 1000’s of sufferers worldwide. UCSF’s advances in treating leukemia and different cancers have contributed to the general five-year survival fee for childhood most cancers rising to just about 85% at present, up from 10% within the Nineteen Seventies.
Regardless of this progress, childhood most cancers continues to be a problem and may have lasting results on sufferers and their households. UCSF continues to review these long-term penalties. The partnership between Swim Throughout America and UCSF Benioff Youngsters’s Hospitals is crucial for advancing most cancers analysis and care. Says Maya:
“Serving my second 12 months as president of the Swim Throughout America – San Francisco Junior Advisory Board, my purpose is to boost $35,000 this 12 months with the English Channel swim and the San Francisco swim, which can carry the full I’ve been capable of elevate to greater than $125,000 to help most cancers analysis for UCSF Benioff Youngsters’s Hospitals.
“I’d particularly wish to thank Dr. Julie Saba, director of the Swim Throughout America Analysis Lab at UCSF Benioff Youngsters’s Hospital Oakland, for her continued help all through my very own well being challenges. For that, I’m endlessly grateful and impressed to boost much more for Swim Throughout America and UCSF by means of my swimming.”
Maya Merhige. Picture: Maya with dad and mom Liz and Chris – San Francisco Swim Throughout America – photograph by Jeni Howard
Maya’s personal medical challenges started in March 2023, when after struggling a ski crash, a benign tumor on her pancreas was found. Affected by continual ache since, she has a newfound empathy for pediatric most cancers sufferers who endure countless procedures and appointments.
Regardless of these challenges, Maya stays undeterred. “I’ve not been capable of swim for the previous month as a result of ache I used to be experiencing, so I’m now having to re-train for the English Channel,” she shared. “That is one other a kind of distinctive challenges this 12 months, however I’m decided to succeed.”
Maya additionally plans to take part within the Swim Throughout America – San Francisco open water swim on October 5, 2024, swimming along with her workforce Chasing Channels, made up of different Swim Throughout America – San Francisco Junior Advisory Board members and Bay Space youth. One custom Maya has is to jot down the names of family and friends members battling most cancers on her swim cap. She mentioned:
“I’m honored to hold the names of family and friends members affected by most cancers on my cap. I’m going to maintain swimming to boost consciousness and funds for combating most cancers till we have now a treatment.”
Maya Merhige. Picture: If the Cap Suits – by Liz Tung
Thanks to Jeni Howard, of Swim Throughout America and for sharing Maya’s stirring story and efforts within the struggle towards most cancers
To study extra about Maya swimming the English Channel and to make a donation to Swim Throughout America, go to swimacrossamerica.org/maya.
Swim Throughout America
Swim Throughout America is a nationwide group and gives open water and pool swims in 24 communities, from Boston Harbor to beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Based in 1987, Swim Throughout America has raised greater than $100 million within the struggle towards most cancers. Funds raised by Swim Throughout America and its grants have helped help the analysis and scientific trials for FDA accepted immunotherapy medicines, together with Keytruda, Opdivo, Yervoy and Tecentriq.
Swim Throughout America can also be a grant funder of the profitable scientific trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering that was revealed inThe New England Journal of Medication and confirmed a one hundred pc success fee in treating sufferers in a part 2 scientific trial for superior rectal most cancers with dostarlimab. Swim Throughout America grants help greater than 60 initiatives annually and there are ten named Swim Throughout America Labs at main establishments together with: Youngsters’s Healthcare of Atlanta, John Hopkins Medication Baltimore, Rush in Chicago, Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Most cancers Middle in Dallas, Memorial Sloan Kettering Most cancers Middle New York, Infusion Middle at Nantucket Cottage Hospital, UCSF Benioff Youngsters’s Hospital Oakland and San Francisco, Fred Hutch Most cancers Middle, The Swim Throughout America Pediatric Analysis Lab at Columbia College Medical Middle New York, and at Meyer Most cancers Middle at Weill Cornell Medication.
Greater than 150 Olympians help Swim Throughout America, together with 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 lots of extra.
Swim Throughout America, Inc. (SAA) raises cash and consciousness for most cancers analysis, prevention and remedy by means of swimming-related occasions. With the assistance of volunteers, and Olympians, Swim Throughout America is an innovator and chief in giving hope to these combating most cancers. To study extra go to swimacrossamerica.org, Fb @SwimAcrossAmerica, and Instagram and Twitter @SAASwim.
