A FIVE-year-old girl has made a splash in Corsham by signing up to do a 1,500m swimathon for Marie Curie after her step-grandfather was diagnosed with cancer.

Marie Short, of Bucks Close, Biddestone has been busy training five times a week at Corsham swimming pool, where she will attempt to swim the distance on April 19. She took on the challenge after learning of the illness affecting her step-grandad Roy Rymkiewicz, of Tern Close, Calne.

"She is going to attempt to swim 1,500m in three hours since she managed 500m in half an hour," mum Nicki Short said. "It is a big distance for a five-year-old but I think she will do it. We put the target at £175 because we thought only the family would donate but now we have got more than £410 and it has only been going for two weeks.

"She is just so in love with swimming. We always do it and she loves it so much. When she got her 500m, I was wondering what she would do next and when we were in the pool, Stephanie Millward was there too and she swam over and taught her how to dive. It was amazing.

"Since then, Maisie keeps saying how she wants to be like Stephanie."

Maisie, who also has a seven-year-old brother Charlie, has been ramping up her training with her mum and over the weekend she managed to swim an impressive 750m in just 45 minutes.

For more information or to donate to Maisie's fundraising page visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/swimathon-2017-Ni