Scuba diver Cristi Quill over the past weekend stayed underwater for 51 hours and 25 minutes in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest open saltwater scuba dive by a female.

Quill did the dive 15 feet below the surface in the chilly waters off San Diego, California with a drysuit and a team of support divers bringing her food, water and extra tanks.

If Guinness certifies Quill’s dive, it would have bested the longest open saltwater dive by anyone — males and females included. The men’s record was broken last month by Egyptian Walaa Hafez’s 51-hour, 24-minute, 13-second dive in the waters off Hurghada, Egypt.

Quill did the dive in memory of her mother, who died of cancer last year, and is raising money for the American Cancer Society.

Since her mother’s death, “I have wanted to do ‘something’ to help fight cancer,” she says in a YouTube video.

“Some people run/walk marathons, some people ride bikes across the country and some do nothing. I didn’t want to be someone who does nothing. I don’t run/walk marathons and I don’t ride bikes — I dive.”

To contribute to Quill’s cause, click here.