Swimming Badges in the 1980s

[Tinkerbellflowers]

Does anyone remember getting a badge for swimming 10,000 metres in the 1980s? They were called STA Distance Awards. I am sure I did, but thinking about it logically, it surely would have taken four or five hours to do, and I would have needed to eat and use the toilet!

It was cumulative done over a couple of sessions not non-stop

Not for 10000m, but I think the badge existed.

I used to do 3000m before school at one point, which took about 90 minutes, so I agree it would take around 5h for 10k. I think it would become more of a mental challenge than a physical one.

I remember them. Think the most I got was 2000m though

I don’t think they were making school kids swim 10kms in one session.

The World Record is close to two hours. By adult athletes.

I got the 2000m at 11

I got a badge for diving underwater to rescue a rubber brick, while wearing my Dad's pajamas. lol. So far, in life, I've not needed to utilize that particular skill.

Thank you for all the replies. That makes sense that 10,000 metres would have to be done over a couple or so sessions. It's a shame I can't find my badge anywhere. I found my 5 metre one!

3000 metres before school is impressive! I have just started doing 1500 metres before work which takes about 45 minutes. That's what got me thinking about the badges.

Yes, and they also had bronze, silver and gold life saving badges. I got my bronze one and remember being envious of the kids who had their silver and gold badges 😂

Im not sure if it was for a badge but I remember doing a one mile swim in our local pool...it was something like 80 lengths

I was in the 6th form and lifeguarded there, so it cost me nothing. If I wasn't working, I got a lift in with another lifeguard, so I swam from 07:00 to 08:30, then went to school.

I do still have my swimming badges (and Brownie badges) sewn in a sleeping bag. My longest was 2000m, which probably has a direct correlation with only having an hour to do it in for swimming club. I also did personal survival and various lifesaving awards (which are also on the sleeping bag.)

Current ASA and STA distance awards go up to 5000m, going by a quick Google. I have a book of ASA history, but it's a bit lacking on distance awards, as is my 1989 book to become an ASA Preliminary Swimming Teacher.

I remember doing 80 lengths - which I think would be 2000m?

A mile is 1604m, which is usually rounded down to 1600 - which is 64 lengths of a usual 25m pool, 80 of my current 20m pool, or 48.5 of a 33m pool (which were probably originally 35 yards or something, but still a weird distance.)

No idea. I think I stopped at 50m.😄

In a 25m pool, yes.

It made me water confident tho, which I still am with water confident children in all settings. loved school swimming 👏🏽

I had to get special permission to stay on after my normal lesson to complete my 2000m badge. It was the highest I got. I think I continued ploughing up and down one lane all through the next class too. I don't remember being tired, just that my arms were like jelly when I tried to climb out.
Now I can barely manage 50m of crawl.

I got the ASA bronze, silver, gold and honours awards in the late 1970s. The honours was a tough one but my certificate (framed by my parents) is dated before my 10th birthday. I have the fabric badges stitched onto a tracksuit jacket (was I really that small?) and the pin badges are in the coloured plastic boxes in which they were presented. There are also distance awards plus brownie badges and my lifesaving badges (taken in the early 80s).

it was probably'92 when I did my cadet badge