LIVING so close to the sea seems to have rubbed off on Poole four-year-old Tae Smith.

She’s swum 2,000 metres in less than two hours, leaving her parents and swimming coach speechless.

They’re convinced her achievement, after just five months of lessons, sets a British record for someone so young.

Dad Rob Smith, 41, is proud of his little water baby – who wants to make it official by repeating the epic swim for charity in front of an Amateur Swimming Association judge on Saturday, July 23 at 10.30am.

The distance is 101 laps of The Junction swimming pool, in Broadstone.

Mr Smith, of Witchurch Avenue in Broadstone, said: “Tae’s instructor Nick Johnson thought she was ready to do her distance badge of 30 lengths. That’s still an achievement for a four-year-old.

“After the first 30, he asked her how she felt, and Tae said she was fine and would like to carry on. It was the same after 50, and again at 80.

“At 101 he made her stop. She wanted to carry on, or play around diving. He had to tell her no – that’s quite enough for one day!

“She’s still not even really aware of what she’s achieved, but that’s the innocence of her age.”

Mr Johnson told Mr Smith and Tae’s mum Trezan that she was special after her first lesson.

Mr Smith, who runs his own business, said: “At the end he turned to me and said: “This child is a total natural’. Each week it’s been the same.

“You can tell just watching her freestyling or front crawl. That’s extremely difficult for young ones because it’s all about getting the co-ordination of arms and breathing.”

Tae, who attends Dumpton School in Wimborne, will raise money for Macmillan Cancer Trust with her sponsored swim.

“Tae lost her grandma to cancer a year ago, so that’s fresh in her own mind,” Mr Smith said.

“Who knows where her career may go? I swim like a brick so she didn’t get these skills from me.”

Go to justgiving.com/tae-smith