Bay Area teen swims from Ireland to Scotland, for 'every single person' ever touched by cancer

DUBLIN, Ireland - A teen Berkeley swimmer continues to mark monumental aquatic feats around the globe, as she uses each swim stroke to honor those fighting cancer.

On Wednesday, Maya Merhige completed a 21.4 mile swim from Ireland to Scotland in an astounding 12 hours, 19 minutes and 37 seconds.

The swim across the North Channel was number five in the 18-year-old athlete’s quest to complete seven open-water marathon swims, which, if she finishes on schedule, is expected to sail her into the Guinness World Records as the youngest person to complete the Oceans Seven challenge.

What we know:

The challenge is made up of seven landmark ocean channels or straits. According to the Marathon Swimmers Federation, they are:

• The English Channel: 20.5 miles between England and France.
• The Catalina Channel: 20 miles between Catalina Island and Rancho Palos Verdes in Los Angeles County.
• The Strait of Gibraltar: 9 miles between Spain and Morocco.
• The North Channel: 21.4 miles between Ireland and Scotland.
• The Kaiwi Channel: 26 miles between Molokai and Oahu.
• The Cook Strait: 14 miles between the North and South Island of New Zealand.
• The Tsugaru Strait: 12.1 miles between Honshu and Hokkaido, Japan.

Started at age 14

The backstory:

Merhige began this challenge in 2021, with the completion of the Catalina Channel swim. She was only 14.

In January 2023, she went to complete the Molokai, or Kaiwi marathon, becoming the youngest person to ever swim that channel. 

Then in July of the following year, she swam the English Channel. She completed the New Zealand Cook Strait swim last year. 

Record-breaking swims

KTVU has covered the young swimmer’s previous record-breaking feats. 

Four years ago, she became the youngest female to accomplish the incredibly difficult, high-altitude open water challenge known as the Lake Tahoe Triple Crown. 

That swim series consists of the 12-mile width of Lake Tahoe, the 21.3 mile length of the lake, and the 10.6 mile Vikingsholm marathon from Cave Rock, Nevada to Emerald Bay.

Her other colossal accomplishments in the water include being among the youngest to complete the 28.5-mile 20 Bridges swim around Manhattan.

Closer to home, she has completed the 6.2-mile, 3 Rocks open-water swim in the San Francisco Bay and a 10-mile marathon around Angel Island.

Her why

Dig deeper:

As grueling as the training and the actual marathon events are, the reason why she gets in the water is to support those who are enduring challenges that are even greater, she said. 

"I swim for each and every single person that has ever been touched by cancer," the elite athlete shared on her website. "Whether it’s for a patient, a doctor, a family member, or a friend, I swim for them all," she said. 

And she carries these people with her on her aquatic feats.

As a visual representation of that, she crossed the North Channel this week wearing a swim cap penned with the names of the people she’s swimming for, those who have battled or are currently fighting cancer. 

The backstory:

Since the age of 9, the accomplished swimmer has been working with Swim Across America to raise money for pediatric cancer research.

So far, she’s collected more than $165,000 for the cause, according to the non-profit, bringing in more than $12,500 just this year.

SEE ALSO: 14-year-old Bay Area sprinter ranked #1 in the nation

The money raised directly supports pediatric cancer research and patient care programs at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals. 

What's next:

Merhige plans to take part in Swim Across America’s annual San Francisco charity swim in September. The 1.5-mile event at Little Marina Green and finishes at Aquatic Park. 

If all goes according to plan, it will be a big summer for Merhige as she’s scheduled next month to cross off the historic Strait of Gibraltar on her Oceans Seven list.

There is no estimated date for her final, record-breaking swim in Japan’s Tsugaru Strait, as part of that elite open-water challenge.

Remembering Sam

While she said she swims for all cancer patients and all those affected by the devastating disease, there is one person in particular whose spirit fuels her when she’s in the water.

In 2022, she lost a friend, Sam Hallward, who died from brain cancer. 

Sam was only 12 years old.

"He was one of the most outgoing and adventurous kids I knew," Merhige previously shared with KTVU. "I just know that he would have loved to be in all of the awesome places that I get to go while swimming."

This story was reported from Oakland, Calif.