15-year-old girl swims 28.5 miles around Manhattan to raise money for cancer research

MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) -- A 15-year-old girl completed what is known as the 20 Bridges Swim -- a 28.5-mile swim around Manhattan -- and it was all for a good cause.

Maya Merhige joined the challenge over the weekend as part of Swim Across America to raise money for cancer research.
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The high school junior from California completed the daunting task in eight hours and 43 minutes.

"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," Merhige said. "And that really pushes me to keep going forward."



Merhige swam with a team close by, including an observer and her parents supporting her journey.
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Over the past eight years she has raised more than $60,000 with Swim Across America.



"Knowing that the money I'm raising makes a difference really encourages me to keep going," she said. "And through my fundraising, I hope that we can kind of end cancer."

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