American Swimmer Endures Thousands of Jellyfish Stings During 14-Hour Swim in New Zealand

An American swimmer, Maya Merhige, endured thousands of jellyfish stings during a grueling 14-hour swim across the Cook Strait in New Zealand. By the end of her marathon swim, even her face—her nose, ears, and lips—was covered in painful stings. The 17-year-old from California described being stung approximately 25 times per minute throughout the swim. Despite the ordeal, she fought through her fear with mental resilience, saying, ‘I’ve done so much mental gymnastics in the water that I can adapt myself to deal with whatever situation occurs.’ Merhige has successfully completed challenging swims like the Moloka’i Channel in Hawaii, the Catalina Channel off Los Angeles, and the English Channel between England and France. Her upcoming goals include crossing the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland, the Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco, and the Tsugaru Strait in Japan.