Sisters splash in to raise cash in Horncastle

The quartet of sisters - Maezie Ball, 12, Elsie Ball, nine, Dorothy Ball, seven and Nellie Ball, four - swam more than 300 lengths between them to raise money for Kirkby on Bain Primary School.

While Maezie, who now attends Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Horncastle, completed 130 lengths, four-year-old Nellie certainly played her part - swimming 64 lengths unaided.

Elsie completed 100 lengths and Dorothy 64 lengths.

Mum, Vicki, is proud of all four daughters but believes Nellie could be the youngest person in the country to complete Swimathon - a charitable fundraising swimming challenge.

Vicki told the News: “I have heard from Swimathon and it is entirely possible that Nellie at four is one of, if not the youngest participant to have completed the event,”

In an email sent to Vicki, Swimathon’s organisers said: “Nellie can be very proud of herself because we have not got many or in fact any participants with such a high commitment from this age. We admire her achievement and it is very impressive.”

The sisters set a target of £200 but they smashed that.

Vicki added: “I find ‘proud’ is a very over used and misinterpreted word but I really am proud of all four girls.

“It has been all their own doing - all their own hard work.

Maezie completed her own swim despite suffering from cramp. She even climbed back into the pool for an extra two lengths to help Elsie finish.

Elsie had dislocated her shoulder in the build up to the swim but still went ahead.

Dorothy, who is not usually sporty, overcame her nerves to rattle out 64 lengths.

Nellie, meanwhile, had set her sights on 32 lengths but completed double that in 1 hour 57 minutes.

Vicki said: “Just four years old and tiny to boot. We have told her all along that whatever she could do was amazing but she set her sights on 32 lengths. I worried she’d struggle and then be upset. I was honestly expecting 10 lengths which is a really long way when you’re four. She smashed out 64 lengths - a whole mile.”