American teenager withstood thousands of jellyfish stings during a 14-hour swim

Maya Merhige, a 17-year-old American, wants to become the youngest sportsman to finish the Ocean Seven, a series of free water crossings around the globe. Last month, she took more than 14 hours to cross Cook Strait, New Zealand.

East Bay teenager Maya Merhige withstood thousands of jellyfish stings during a 14-hour swim across the Cook Strait

Maya Merhige eventually stopped counting her jellyfish stings, such was the frequency with which they were getting scorched against her skin. At this point, Merhige was already several hours into her 14-hour swim across the Cook Strait in New Zealand and had slowly become immune to the small, burning sensations that covered her body. By the end, even her face – her nose, ears and lips – had been peppered with them. “Constantly, like 25 times a m…

American teenager Maya Merhige withstood thousands of jellyfish stings during a 14-hour swim across the Cook Strait

Maya Merhige recently completed a 14-hour swim across the 13.67-mile Cook Strait in New Zealand, battling through strong currents and jellyfish stings.

On May 1, 2025, a 17-year-old girl, rode to the challenge of swimming, recounts her crossing of the Cook Strait between the northern and southern islands of New Zealand. She explains that she was pricked up to 25 times by...

A young athlete was constantly stung by jellyfish while swimming through New Zealand's Cook Strait. She is trying to raise money for childhood cancer research through her swim.

Maya Merhige, 17, swam across the Cook Strait in New Zealand.