“Whatever Pain I Go Through”: California Teenager Swims for Over 8 Hours in a Bid to End Deadly Disease

They say charity begins at home, but for this particular 15-year-old, it began in Manhattan. This extraordinary teenager hailing from California turned her passion for swimming into a weapon. She did this against cancer in hopes of finding a cure. Maya Merhige, even at such a young age, is winning hearts with her noble gesture in an attempt to aid and assist cancer survivors and patients.

To give effect to this good cause, the teenager took part in a swim for charity and completed a famous swim circuit in Manhattan, called the ’20 Bridges Swim’. This is not the first time that this 15-year-old has helped in raising funds for cancer research. Maya has been a part of a non-profit for nearly a decade and has raised a considerable amount till now.

Teenager becomes the definition of swimming for charity

Originally from California, Maya Merhige went to the Big Apple with one single goal. She wants to end cancer to provide relief to several people suffering from the deadly disease. According to a report by ABC 7 NY, the event was organized by Swim Across America, and Merhige was a part of the same. She went swimming a total of 28.5 miles across Manhattan, which took her a total of 8 hours and 43 minutes to complete. This swim was her second of the three marathon swims that she hopes to complete as a part of her dream to get the Triple Crown of Marathon Swimming.

Currently, in high school, Maya has a simple yet inspirational philosophy for why she does it. According to her, “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. And that really pushes me to keep going forward.” During the tiring but motivational 8-hour-long swim, Merhige was supervised by a team to ensure her safety. The team included an observer and her parents offering her support to consummate her swimming journey. The 15-year-old has been associated with Swim Across America for a long time and has raised over $60,000 in the last eight years.

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She has raised over $16,000 so far this year for Swim Across America and wants to reach a goal of $25,000. The money she has raised through her hard work gives her hope that one day, suffering resulting from cancer will come to an end. She said, “Knowing that the money I’m raising makes a difference really encourages me to keep going. And through my fundraising, I hope that we can kind of end cancer.” A very noble dream that she is turning into reality with the help of Swim Across America, an organization dedicated to cancer research.

The mission of curing cancer

Swim Across America (SAA) is a non-profit foundation that donates money to cancer research. Founded in June 1987, SAA has raised about $100 million for the cause. According to their website, they fund innovative cancer research, clinical trials, and patient programs by hosting charity swims. Reports suggest that 40% of Americans could be affected by cancer once in their life. However, even though the government funds cancer research, its grants have decreased by 25% over the last 10 years.

Therefore, organizations such as SAA raise funds through charity to donate to clinical trials to help find cures. SAA passes on these funds to world-renowned centers and hospitals for cancer research, located all across the country. In every locality they host a charity swim, and SAA forms a relationship with the local cancer institute, which is how they select their beneficiaries. Maya has dedicated her youth to this virtuous attempt at fighting against cancer.

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