Cross the northern round between Ireland and Scotland, the Strait of Gibraltar Between Spain and Morocco, and that of Tsugaru in Japan. This is what remains in Maya Merhige, a 17 -year -old American, to become the youngest sportswoman, all sexes combined, to finish the Ocean Seven, A series of free water crossings around the globe.
Latest feat, the Californian spent the Strait of Cook, which separates the two large islands of New Zealand, in 14 hours and 8 minutes. “The most difficult swimming I have ever made”, in his own words on His Instagram account.
“As soon as I entered the water, I was afraid”
Maya Merhige had to theoretically put 7 hours less, but the weather conditions (the wind, the current, etc.) and the presence of many jellyfish complicated its crossing. The marathonian swimmer claims to have been bitten “about twenty times per minute, again and again”, with CNN.
« As soon as I entered the water, I was already afraid. I didn’t want to see jellyfish. I fought mentally to overcome this fear, says the young woman. If I don’t see them, I simply say to myself: far from the eyes, far from the heart. Maya Merhige explained that she had sensations of burns, while all his body, including his face, was riddled with traces of bites.
This did not prevent him from completing his 43 km of swimming in free water. She can therefore add the Cook Strait to her already full record with, to her credit, the Moloka’i canal in Hawaii, the Catalina channel off Los Angeles and the English Channel between England and France. All by collecting $ 150,000 for research on pediatric cancers.
The date of his next crossing is not yet known. Maya Merhige must undergo surgical intervention before leaving for swimming in 2026. With or without jellyfish as companions.
