15-Year-Old Girl Takes 28.5-Mile Swim Around Manhattan to Raise Funds For Cancer Research

The swim is one of many that the high school junior has participated in throughout the last eight years to raise over $60,000 for cancer research

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LIZ TUNG FOR SWIM ACROSS AMERICA

 A 15-year-old California native completed a 28.5-mile swim around Manhattan for a good cause.

Maya Merhige traveled to the Big Apple over the weekend to participate in the 20 Bridges Swim and raise money for cancer research with Swim Across America. The swim took eight hours and 43 minutes to complete, according to ABC-7, and is one of many that the high school junior has participated in throughout the last eight years to raise over $60,000 for the non-profit organization.

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LIZ TUNG FOR SWIM ACROSS AMERICA

"Whatever I'm doing in my swimming, or whatever pain I go through in my swims, it's really nothing compared to the struggle that cancer families go through," she told the news outlet. "And that really pushes me to keep going forward."

According to Good Morning America, the 20 Bridges Swim takes swimmers under 20 bridges and three rivers, making the experience more enjoyable for Merhige who enjoys "the challenge."

"I really like the challenge of it. I got to see all of the Manhattan skyline from the water at night, which is something I think not a lot of people can say," she told GMA. "So I had a really fun time with that and it was beautiful."

Before Merhige's accomplishment, only two other 15-year-old swimmers have completed the daring swim around Manhattan, per Swim Across America.

LIZ TUNG FOR SWIM ACROSS AMERICA

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She told the organization in an online interview, “I swim for each and every single person that has ever been touched by cancer. Whether it’s for a patient, a doctor, a family member, or a friend, I swim for them all." Her drive to participate in the marathon swim became stronger after the death of a family friend.

"Sam Hallward, a family friend of mine, passed away from brain cancer (DIPG) in December 2022 at the age of 12," she shared with Swim Across America. "He was one of the most outgoing and adventurous kids I knew, and I just know that he would have loved to be in all of the awesome places that I get to go while swimming.”

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Merhige is also driven by her own experience with a medical scare.

“I’m one of the lucky ones,” she explained to the organization. “The grapefruit-size tumor was benign and with the exception of a massive scar across my stomach, I will be okay. This brief, but terrifying experience, gave me and my family a small taste of what others go through when confronted with a terrifying medical situation. It gave me even greater respect for what people with cancer experience and made me even more committed to this effort."