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Berkeley native Maya Merhige, 19, swam the Strait of Gibraltar on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026.( Liz Tung and Chris Merhige for Swim Across America)
ALGECIRAS, Spain -Berkeley native Maya Merhige this week completed a grueling open-water marathon swim across the punishing Strait of Gibraltar, bringing her one step closer to becoming the youngest person to achieve a feat only reached by about 50 people in the world.
On Tuesday, the 19-year-old crossed the 8.95 mile historic strait between Spain and Morocco, which connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea.
Merhige did it in just 3 hours, 49 minutes, and 49 seconds
Oceans Seven challenge
She is now one big swim away from accomplishing the elite Oceans Seven marathon challenge, often referred to as the Seven Summits of swimming.
The Strait of Gibraltar is known as one of the most important swims of the seven continents, and requires coordination with maritime organizations in the area, according to the non-profit charity Swim Across America, which has partnered with Merhige.
“Tides and challenging currents typically require swimmers to cover a considerably longer route,” the nonprofit wrote in a news release. “The swim is run by The Strait of Gibraltar Swimming Association, or ACNEG, which oversees and certifies crossings in cooperation with maritime authorities offering just two-or-three crossings a year.”
Unlike her other marathon events, she was paired with two other swimmers who also crossed the Strait.
The backstory:
The swim came about a month after Merhige traversed 21.4 miles across the North Channel, going from Ireland to Scotland, in an astounding 12 hours, 19 minutes and 37 seconds.
Described as the “ultimate open water challenge,” the Oceans Sevens 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.
Merhige now only has the Tsugaru Strait left to complete the full challenge
On pace to be the youngest
She’s on pace to become the youngest person in the world to achieve the Oceans Seven
The current record holder is Caitlin O’Reilly, a New Zealand swimmer who finished the seven marathon swims in 2024, at the age of 20 years, 7 months, and 15 days.
Those who accomplish this feat are in an extremely elite class.
Records show only 52 people in the world have completed the formidable undertaking.
Breaking records
Dig deeper:
About to start her second year at Georgetown University in Washington. D.C., the Bay Area native’s journey thus far has been marked by a series of record-breaking swims.
“Just a week after her 13th birthday, she became the youngest woman to swim the width of Lake Tahoe,”
In 2021, at age 14, Merhige became the youngest female to swim the 20-miles of the Catalina Channel.
The following year, she was also recorded as the youngest to complete the 26-mile Molokai (or Kaiwi) Channel
Other notable accomplishments include swimming the Tahoe Triple Crown, the Manhattan 20 Bridges challenge, the Angel Island open-water marathon, and the Three Rocks swim in San Francisco Bay.
Swimming for a cause
Big picture view:
While these marathon events mark incredible physical feats, for the young athlete, it has always been about so much more.
Each stroke is dedicated to those who have battled or are currently fighting cancer.
“Every time I get in the water, I am carrying others with me who have had a far more challenging journey than I’m undertaking,” Merhige explained.
Her swim cap is penned with dozens of names and serves as a visual representation of why she swims.
“I am swimming for those whose names are on my cap, for families who need hope and for the research that can lead to better treatments,” she said
Maya Merhige’s swim cap on which she writes the name of everyone she is swimming for. ( Liz Tung and Chris Merhige for Swim Across America)
Merhige began working with Swim Across America at the age of 9, as part of her desire to honor her friend, Sam Hallward, who died from brain cancer. He was only 12 years old
In the past ten years, through her swim challenges, she has raised more than $190,000
SEE ALSO:14-year-old Bay Area track star returns from Junior Olympics with a gold
“Maya swims to make waves to fight cancer,” the non-profit said, which noted that in the Strait of Gibraltar alone, she raised more than $20,000. She will continue her fundraising efforts through her Oceans Seven journey.
Honoring Sydney Towle
Merhige dedicated her Strait of Gibraltar swim to 26-year-old Sydney Towle, who died earlier this month following a nearly three-year battle with metastatic cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive bile duct cancer.
Towle, a social media content creator, used her platform to share her experiences and her cancer journey while raising awareness about living with the disease as a young adult.
“For Maya Merhige, Sydney’s story reinforced the reason she continues taking on extraordinary challenges in the water: to raise funds and awareness for the cancer research that can lead to new therapies and more options for patients,” Swim Across America said
Local perspective:
The non-profit said the funds raised by Merhige go directly to local pediatric cancer research and patient care, specifically UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco Survivors of Childhood Cancer Program.
“If I can help raise funds that help fund critical cancer research through Swim Across America, and help find more and better cures through swimming, I’m going to do just that,” Merhige said
What’s next:
Her final Oceans Seven challenge to take on the Tsugaru Strait in Japan is scheduled to take place sometime next year.
She’s targeting for spring or summer, with designs to accomplish the remarkable feat before her 20th birthday, which is on July 24
With the completion of the Strait of Gibraltar, Maya Merhige now has one more swim to complete the Oceans Seven challenge.( Liz Tung and Chris Merhige for Swim Across America)
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This story was reported from Oakland, Calif.
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