For more than a decade, Paul Felton has been a dedicated supporter of Swim Across America – San Francisco, raising an impressive $25,000 to fund life-saving cancer research. This year, he’ll once again take the plunge as a swimmer, carrying with him the stories and strength of those closest to him.
Paul was first introduced to Swim Across America through a close friend whose daughter was diagnosed with a rare cancer and treated at UCSF. Funds raised through Swim Across America – San Francisco are granted to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. Grantees also include researchers at UCSF.
Paul Felton’s daughter, Claire, was diagnosed with leukemia when she was a freshman in college.
“We were all water polo players,” Paul recalls. “Hearing about SAA and already having competed in open water events, it was easy to do something we loved while contributing to a cause that was so close to our hearts.”
Several years later, the mission of Swim Across America became even more personal when Paul’s own daughter, Claire, was diagnosed with leukemia. After taking time off, he returned to the swim in 2024 with a renewed sense of purpose.
“Last year Claire was diagnosed a week before the swim, and I registered, knowing from my past experience with Swim Across America, that any fundraising I could do could benefit Claire and so many others going through cancer treatment at USCF,” Paul said.
“Having a loved one directly affected by cancer, it’s impossible to know exactly what they are going through physically and emotionally,” Paul shares. “If there’s anything I can do personally, and to encourage friends and family to get involved, it’s nice to know that every dollar we raise goes directly to increased research and treatment that supports children and young adults with cancer.”
For Paul, Swim Across America is more than a swim—it’s a powerful way to show up for his daughter, his friend’s family, and the countless others impacted by cancer. His commitment is a testament that together, we can Make Waves to Fight Cancer.
If you’re inspired to support Paul and Team UCSF Survive, give here.
Berkeley, California Resident is one of the Youngest in History to Complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming and Has Raised More than $125,000 for Cancer Research through Swim Across America
Maya Merhige a 17-year-old marathon swimmer from Berkeley, California, on March 14, 2025, successfully swam New Zealand’s Cook Strait, a 22 km (13.67 mile) body of water and one of the world’s most challenging open water swims. This latest achievement for Merhige comes just eight months after she successfully swam the English Channel in July 2024, becoming one of the youngest swimmers in the world to achieve the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. The completion of the Cook Strait makes this her tenth marathon swim — all which have been done to raise funds for cancer research with the nonprofit Swim Across America. Throughout her years of swimming and making waves to fight cancer, Maya has raised an incredible $125,000!
Maya Merhige, third from left, with her support crew after Maya completed the Cook Strait swim.
Merhige completed the Cook Strait swim in 14 hours, eight minutes and 36 seconds. At 17, she joined the ranks of one of the youngest swimmers to successfully conquer this formidable strait. Accompanying Merhige on this journey and on her support boat was her father Chris Merhige, her official timekeeper, friend and open water coach Kelly Gentry, and her godparents Geoff Tennican and Jen Durning, who have been steadfast supporters of Maya’s and who have donated more than $18,000 to her cause to make waves to fight cancer for the nonprofit Swim Across America, the beneficiary of Maya’s swims. Their presence on the support boat provided invaluable encouragement throughout the swim and helped keep Maya going by relaying uplighting and inspiring messages from Maya’s family and friends all around the world who were following her progress.
The Cook Strait is known for its rough and unpredictable water, high winds and abundant marine life. Situated between the North and South islands of New Zealand, the Cook Strait connects the Tasman Sea with the South Pacific Ocean. Both shores are lined with steep cliffs which can create a wind tunnel effect. The strong gusts of wind and tidal flows make it one of the roughest and most unpredictable stretches of water in the world. The challenging conditions have attracted numerous swimmers, many of whom have failed to make the crossing and several who have succeeded.
The water in the Cook Strait during Maya’s swim was a bit rough with 15-to-25 knot winds and 1 metre swells and the water was a chilly 60 degrees with the air temp only 59 degrees fahrenheit. According to marathon swimming rules, Maya swims with only a bathing suit, swim cap and goggles. “This was one of the gutsiest swims I’ve ever seen, and was according to some folks on the boat too,” noted Maya’s father Chris Merhige, who was on the support boat traveling alongside Maya during her swim.
“Swimming the Cook Strait was a hard, but incredible experience,” Maya Merhige said. “The jellyfish stings, unpredictable currents and wind presented unique challenges, but knowing that my efforts contribute to cancer research kept me motivated. Having my godparents by my side meant the world to me—they have been some of my strongest supporters, always believing in me and helping to make these swims possible.”
Completing the Cook Strait brings Merhige closer to completing the Ocean’s Seven Swims – the most challenging open water swims in the world. Since 2020, she has completed the Catalina Channel, Molokai Channel, English Channel and Cook Strait – with still to come the North Channel, Tsugaru Strait and Strait of Gibraltar.
Maya and Swim Across America – San Francisco co-event director, Jackie NeJaime
Merhige’s previous accomplishments include becoming the youngest woman to swim the 20-mile Catalina Channel at just 14 years old, completing the 28.5-mile Manhattan 20 Bridges swim at 15, and crossing the English Channel at 16, earning her the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.
Merhige’s commitment to open water swimming began at age nine when she joined her first Swim Across America – San Francisco open water swim, where she swam with Team Susan Survives! in honor of a family friend and three-time cancer survivor, Susan Helmrich. Since then, she has participated in the annual swim, raising more than $125,000 for pediatric cancer research with Swim Across America – San Francisco’s local beneficiary UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.
While raising funds for cancer research and new treatments in support of friends and family members battling cancer has been her inspiration for swimming, writing their names on her swim cap to bring them on the journey with her, Maya has had her own personal health challenges, including discovering a benign pancreatic tumor in 2023 after a ski accident. She has had some ongoing health challenges stemming from the issue and has had her own hospital stays and surgeries, which have only deepened her empathy for cancer patients and strengthened her resolve to support cancer research and help fund new and better treatments.
This fall, Merhige will be starting her freshman year at college, but still hopes to participate in the annual Swim Across America – San Francisco open water swim on September 21, 2025, marking her ninth year swimming in the event. To learn more about Merhige’s amazing swimming accomplishments and to support her fundraising efforts, visitswimacrossamerica.org/maya.
Founded in 1987, Swim Across America has raised more than $100 million to fight cancer. In its 38 years of making waves, thousands of swimmers and Olympians have swum the circumference of the earth three times uniting a movement to fight cancer that has created a groundswell of support spanning all generations. Today, more than 24 communities across the U.S. hold charity swims each year, which support innovative cancer research, detection and patient programs. Swim Across America’s grants have helped support the research and clinical trials for FDA approved immunotherapy medicines: 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 in The 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, an immunotherapy treatment produced by GlaxoSmithKline. Swim Across America awards grant to more than 60 projects each year and there are ten named Swim Across America Labs at major institutions.
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.
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 @SAASwim.
Read or watch local stories featuring the Swim Across America-San Francisco community to learn about their impact. Learn more about the event and beneficiary, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals (Oakland and San Francisco), at swimacrossamerica.org/sanfrancisco.
Swim Across America – San Francisco participant, Maya Merhige, successfully completed the English Channel swim in July 2024. Maya is a top fundraiser for SAA-SF, a member of the Junior Advisory Board, and a high school junior in the Bay Area. To read media highlights from Maya’s historic swims, click here.
Local SF-Bay Area Teen and Marathon Swimmer Maya Merhige Joins Hundreds to Make Waves to Fight Cancer for the Swim’s Local Beneficiary UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals
The 19th annual Swim Across America – San Francisco Bay open water swim will take place on Saturday, October 5, 2024, with swimmers, Olympians, volunteers, and supporters all making waves in the fight against cancer. This year’s 1.5-mile point-to-point swim begins at Little Marina Green and finishes in Aquatic Park in San Francisco. The event is expected to raise close to $400,000 for innovative cancer research and patient care at Swim Across America – San Francisco Bay’s local beneficiaries UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, with proceeds supporting the Oakland Research Institute and the Survivors of Childhood Cancer Program at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco. To date, the swim has raised more than $5.5 million for UCSF. Swimmers and land and water volunteers can register at swimacrossamerica.org/sanfrancisco, as well as donate.
One of the standout participants in this year’s swim is 17-year-old Maya Merhige of Berkeley, California, who has participated in the Swim Across America – San Francisco Bay swim for the past nine years. Maya is also a marathon swimmer and recently became one of the youngest athletes in history to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming by successfully swimming the English Channel in July 2024.
17-year-old marathon swimmer, Maya Merhige, recently completed the English Channel swim earning her to coveted Triple Crown.
She joins an elite group of swimmers who have conquered the English Channel, Catalina Channel, and Manhattan 20 Bridges Swim. Maya’s accomplishments extend beyond the Triple Crown: she holds world records as the youngest woman to swim the Catalina Channel and all three major courses of Lake Tahoe, and she is the youngest person to complete the grueling 26-mile Kaiwi Molokai Channel between Molokai and Oahu in 27 hours and 33 minutes, joining the prestigious “24-Hour Club,” with one of the longest non-stop open water swims in history.
Maya’s inspiration to swim to make waves to fight cancer stems from first swimming for her family friend Susan Helmrich, a three-time cancer survivor who recently marked 47 years after being first diagnosed with cancer at the young age of 21. Susan, now 69 years-old, has swum in the Swim Across America – San Francisco Bay open water swim for 17 out of the 19 years and has raised more than a million dollars with her “Team Susan Survives!”
Maya has also faced health challenges of her own. In March 2023, after a ski crash, doctors discovered a benign tumor on her pancreas. Despite multiple surgeries, hospitalizations, and chronic pain, Maya continued to train and swim, demonstrating extraordinary resilience. Her own health battles have deepened her empathy for pediatric cancer patients and strengthened her commitment to raising funds for cancer research.
“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,” noted Maya.
Maya also noted that she is grateful and excited to have completed the English Channel this year. “It’s been an honor to raise more than $120,000 to support UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, and I plan to continue raising awareness and funds for cancer research. Swimming has given me so much, and I want to give back in every way I can.”
In addition to her remarkable swimming feats, Maya serves as the president of the Swim Across America – San Francisco Junior Advisory Board, inspiring other young swimmers to join the cause. Her dedication, both in the water and in her leadership role, has been an inspiration to other teens and adults alike. This year, Maya will be swimming on October 5 with her team, “Chasing Channels,” alongside other Junior Advisory Board members. She also carries on a meaningful tradition of writing the names of friends and family battling cancer on her swim cap — a personal tribute that fuels her resolve.
“We are so proud of Maya’s passion and determination,” said Liz Tung, Maya’s mother. “Her commitment to Swim Across America and raising funds for cancer research is truly inspiring, and we’re excited to see her continue to make an impact.”
Media coverage celebrating Swim Across America – San Francisco participant and marathon swimmer, Maya Merhige. Learn about Maya and her record-breaking marathon swims at swimacrossamerica.org/maya. For media inquiries, email Jeni Howard.
SwimSwam: “17-Year-Old Open Water Swimmer Maya Merhige Conquers New Zealand’s Cook Strait”
Swimming World: “Maya Merhige, 17, Adds Crossing of New Zealand’s Cook Strait”
World Open Water Swimming Association: “17-Year-Old Marathon Swimmer Maya Merhige Conquers New Zealand’s Cook Strait, Continuing Her Mission to Make Waves to Fight Cancer”
The Sports Column: “Making Waves to Fight Cancer, 17-Year-Old Maya Merhige Conquers New Zealand’s Cook Strait”
KPIX-TV (CBS, 5): “Berkeley high school student completes daunting open water swim in New Zealand”
SAAswim.com: “17-Year-Old Marathon Swimmer Maya Merhige Conquers New Zealand’s Cook Strait, Continuing Her Mission to Make Waves to Fight Cancer”
English Channel Swim and Triple Crown – July 2024
NBC News Now: Teen swims English Channel to help fight cancer
People Magazine: “16-Year-Old Successfully Swims the English Channel — Up Next? Her Senior Year of High School”
New York Times: At 17, She’s Already Conquered Some of the World’s Big Swims
The Sports Column: “16-Year-Old Maya Merhige Swims English Channel, Raises +$100,000 to Fight Cancer”
SwimSwam: “16-YEAR-OLD MAYA MERHIGE SUCCESSFULLY SWIMS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL”
Berkeleyside (updated): “Berkeley teen braves sharks and hyperthermia in world record swims. What keeps her going?”
Yahoo! Sport: “16-Year-Old Successfully Swims the English Channel — Up Next? Her Senior Year of High School”
Swimming World: “Maya Merhige Swims English Channel at Age 16 to Complete Open Water Triple Crown”
Outdoor Swimmer: “16-year-old Maya Merhige to swim English Channel”
SwimSwam: “16-Year-Old Marathon Swimmer Maya Merhige to Tackle English Channel”
The Sports Column: “Maya Merhige: ‘I Swim for Each and Every Person Who Has Ever Been Touched by Cancer’”
Berkeley, California, Resident Is Now One of the Youngest in History to Complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming and Makes Waves to Fund Cancer Research through Swim Across America
Maya Merhige has done it again! The 16-year-old marathon swimmer has just successfully conquered the English Channel (20.5 miles or 33 km), 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. Maya swam the English Channel in just 11 hours and 39 minutes on July 13, 2024. She undertook the iconic English Channel swim and her other marathon swims to make waves to fight cancer and raise funds for the nonprofit Swim Across America, which funds innovative cancer treatments and clinical trials.
Maya Merhige, a 16-year-old marathon swimmer from San Francisco, successfully completed the English Channel swim earning her the prestigious Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.
Maya earned her stripes toward the Triple Crown and broke swimming records in the past by 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.
“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 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 grueling 26-mile Kaiwi Molokai Channel, between the Hawaiian Islands of Molokai and Oahu, which she completed in 27 hrs and 33 mins. She 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 in history.
Maya Merhige after completing the Catalina Channel swim in September 2021.
“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 before her record-breaking and grueling 26-mile Kaiwi Molokai Channel swim in January 2023.
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.”
Continues Maya, “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 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 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.
Maya Merhige and SAA-San Francisco co-event director, Jackie NeJaime at the 2023 community swim.
The partnership between Swim Across America and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital is essential for advancing cancer research and care.
Maya is also serving her second year as president of the Swim Across America – San Francisco Junior Advisory Board and her goal has been to raise $35,000 this year with the English Channel swim and the San Francisco swim, which will bring the total she has been able to raise to more than $125,000 for Swim Across America 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,” noted Maya.
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. “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.
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.
Read or watch local stories featuring the Swim Across America-San Francisco community to learn about their impact. Learn more about the event and beneficiary, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals (Oakland and San Francisco), at swimacrossamerica.org/sanfrancisco.
Maya Merhige Swim Across America – San Francisco Age: 16
Maya Merhige is just 16 years old, and she has spent half her life participating in Swim Across America – San Francisco. In that time, she has raised over $76,000 for the swim’s beneficiary, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.
Maya Merhige
“I’ve loved swimming for a really long time,” noted Maya. “Swimming is something that I would do even if I weren’t raising funds. Being able to raise money for something that is extremely important to me and close to my heart by just continuing with something I love is the perfect situation.”
From a young age, Maya understood the importance of raising funds for cancer research. She first swam at Swim Across America – San Francisco when she was nine years old.
“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,” said Maya.
“Cancer is one of the most devastating things to go through, and I swim to honor all of those who use all of their strength to fight this disease.
Using strength to fight through challenging situations is something Maya is familiar with. In addition to being a high school junior, a top fundraiser for Swim Across America, and a Taylor Swift fan, Maya is an accomplished marathon swimmer with several record-breaking and high-profile channel swims completed to make up a long list of achievements.
This summer, she completed her eighth major marathon swim, the 20 Bridges Swim around Manhattan. She was 15 at the time, becoming only the third 15-year-old to complete the swim, and swam the 28.5-mile course in eight hours and 43 minutes under the bright lights of New York City.
“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. It was beautiful!”
Maya and her safety crew after the 20 Bridges Swim around Manhattan
Last January, Maya became the youngest swimmer in the world to successfully swim the grueling Kaiwi Molokai Channel, between the Hawaiian Islands of Molokai and Oahu, which she completed in 27 hours and 33 minutes. She also holds a record for the longest duration, thanks to an incredibly strong rip current.
She is 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. Read more about Maya, her marathon swims, and progress on fundraising efforts at swimacrossamerica.org/maya.
Maya plans on completing the Ocean’s Seven, which is a series of seven open water channel swims throughout the world. So far, she has completed two, and her English Channel swim is scheduled for July 2024.
Susan Helmrich, captain of Team Susan Survives and three-time cancer survivor, and Maya
Until then, she’s excited about the Swim Across America – San Francisco open water swim on September 30. She will swim with her team, Team Susan Survives, which has raised over $1 million throughout 17 years of support.
“This year marks the eighth year I’ve been swimming and raising money for Swim Across America – San Francisco,” said Maya. “I originally started swimming to support my dear friend Susan Helmrich, with Team Susan Survives. Susan is an amazing three-time cancer survivor!”
If you are moved to support Maya, you can donate here.
Swim Across America has raised $100 million since its inception in 1987 to support cancer research and clinical trials across the U.S. Please contact Jeni Howard at jhoward@jhowardpr.com for media inquiries.
Team JCT Swim Strong Swim Across America – St. Louis
At Swim Across America, many people ask us, “Are you really swimming across America?” For one team in St. Louis, the answer is, “YES!”
This year, Team JCT Swim Strong will participate in five Swim Across America events, from Nantucket to San Francisco. The swims are in honor of John C. Traube, who passed away five years ago from brain cancer.
Team JCT Swim Strong at the 2023 SAA-Charleston-Kiawah event
The challenge was presented by John’s brother, Steve, to John’s wife, Jen as an opportunity to honor John by doing something he loved – swimming. Jen, and other family members, happily accepted the challenge.
The team started in Tampa, then traveled to Charleston-Kiawah, and then to Nantucket. On August 26, they will swim in the Swim Across America – St. Louis event, and on September 30, they will finish their tour in San Francisco.
Each swim has offered a unique experience for Team JCT Swim Strong, and they are proud to return to their “home base” in the middle of their tour.
“Swimming in the open ocean in Tampa, Charleston-Kiawah and Nantucket was so different from swimming in our own Alpine Lake,” said Jen Traube. “We are Midwesterners, and while the ocean swims were beautiful and really special, there is nothing like swimming in fresh lake water and doing it in your own community.”
Team JCT Swim Strong at the 2023 SAA-Nantucket event
Meredith, Emily and John Traube and Sam Heveroh at the 2017 SAA-St. Louis event.
During his battle with cancer, John raised thousands of dollars for Swim Across America – St. Louis as their top fundraiser. He completed the 2.4-mile swim successfully alongside his family and several high school and college teammates only two days before his second brain surgery.
“John was a master swimmer who found his love of swimming in his community pool in Red Bud, Illinois,” said Jen.
“He continued training and competing as part of his local swim teams throughout his childhood. and then John attended Clarion University in Pennsylvania, where he was a ten-time All American and team captain for the Division II National Swimming Championships all four years. By his senior season, his team ranked second in the country. Swimming was in his blood and he loved Swim Across America.”
Team JCT Swim Strong is led by Steve and Jess, Jen, Meredith, and Emily Traube. Together, the team has a fundraising goal of $30,000.
If you are moved to support Team JCT Swim Strong, you can donatehere.
Swim Across America has raised $100 million since its inception in 1987 to support cancer research and clinical trials across the U.S. Please contact Jeni Howard at jhoward@jhowardpr.com for media inquiries.
Again this year, we’re offering an exciting opportunity to show your love for SAA and win a $100 SwimOutlet.com gift card. Enter by tagging @saaswim and @swimoutlet in your SAA – spirited photos from event day and we’ll pick the best one from each open water swim. Grab your friends and family and show us the best the SAA community has to offer like these winners!
Swim Across America 