DOVER, England - Maya Merhigem, a 16-year-old marathon swimmer from California, conquered the English Channel (20.5 miles or 33 km) in 11 hours and 39 minutes at the weekend, her making her one of the youngest swimmers in history to achieve the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, which includes the English Channel, Catalina Channel and Manhattan 20 Bridges swims.

The teenager's efforts helped draw in more than $100,000 for non-profit Swim Across America's cancer-research fund-raising campaign. The money will go towards innovative cancer treatments and clinical trials. 

Serving her second year as president of the Swim Across America - San Francisco Junior Advisory Board, Maya reached her goal of raising $35,000 with the English Channel swim and the San Francisco swim this year. That took the total she's raised to more than $125,000 for Swim Across America in support cancer research for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals in California.

In the course of practising for her three Triple Crown swims, Maya broke records from the age of 14 when crossing the Catalina Channel and enduring the Manhattan 20 Bridges swim.

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.

"We are beyond proud of Maya and her determination and grit to swim these swims," said Maya's mom Liz Tung.

"We never imagined Maya, who was just nine years old when she swam her first Swim Across America - San Francisco open water swim, would find such a passion for open water swimming and take her swimming so far. Earning the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming at just 16 years old is just incredible! We are thrilled for her!"

Maya's English Channel crossing adds something of an Everest of marathon swimming to her record-breaking efforts:

• 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.
• youngest swimmer in the world to successfully swim the grueling 26-mile Kaiwi Molokai Channel, between the Hawaiian Islands of Molokai and Oahu, which she completed in 27 hrs and 33 mins.
• record holder for the longest duration and joined the ranks of the "24-Hour Club" with the 108th longest non-stop open water swim in history

"I'm so grateful and excited to have successfully swum the English Channel and completed the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming," said Maya.

"Swimming the English Channel this year was a big goal of mine 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 an incredible $100,000 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 cancer research and treatments at 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 was the year to swim the English Channel!"

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, surgeries and hospitalizations since, she has a newfound empathy for pediatric cancer patients who endure endless procedures and appointments. Despite these challenges, Maya remains undeterred. 

"Due to the pain I was experiencing earlier this year, I didn't get to train as much as I would have liked leading up to the English Channel swim," noted Maya.

"These past six weeks, after being in the hospital for 10 nights in May, I really had to kick my training into gear. There were points while I was swimming the Channel where I wanted to give up. I swam through schools of jellyfish and had a lot of stomach pain, but I kept thinking that this doesn't compare to what kids with cancer face. That helped me find the strength to keep going.

"The English Channel was cold and the current was really strong. Whenever I stopped swimming to feed, I could feel myself getting pulled backwards. I knew I had to keep swimming hard, no matter how exhausted I was, in order to get past the tidal current and land on the French shore at Cap Gris Nez. But I made it!" After reaching shore and climbing the rocks to dry land, Maya had one of her favorite meals - Chow Mein - waiting for her back on the boat. 

"I'm extremely grateful for my family and friends who have supported me in this endeavor. My dad Chris Merhige and friend Kelly Gentry, who is also an accomplished English Channel swimmer, were on the boat (the Sea Leopard) as my crew during the swim,  along with the boat captain Stuart Gleeson, co-pilot Sean Marsh, and observer Jon Miell. My mom Liz Tung, sister Lucy, and extended family were back in England cheering me on. A big thank you to all of my friends and supporters who followed my journey and sent words of encouragement that were relayed to me while swimming. I'm exhausted, but very, very happy!" 

Maya's swimming 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 close 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 Hospital, 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 Hospital is essential for advancing cancer research and care.

Maya said: "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 now plans to take part 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. "I am honored to carry the names of friends and family members affected by cancer on my cap," she added. "I'm going to keep swimming to raise awareness and funds for fighting cancer until we have a cure."

To learn more about Maya swimming the English Channel and to make a donation to Swim Across America, visit swimacrossamerica.org/maya. 

More than 150 Olympians and marathon swimmers support Swim Across America on a regular basis, 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. 

Thanks to Jeni Howard, of Swim Across America for sharing Maya's story with us