Champion swimmer: Jean Thomson

These badges represent the successful career of national woman’s swimming representative and champion, Jean Dickson (née Thomson) (1912–2004).

Jean’s competitive swimming career began at Epsom Girls Grammar School in Auckland in the 1920s. She was swimming competitively at a time when girls and women were becoming increasingly active in team sports and recreation. She specialised in breaststroke, freestyle and diving, and won her first championship event in 1926 while at secondary school. Sometimes she wore ‘A’ badges on her swimming costume, which probably represents Auckland.

Jean continued to compete nationally until 1938. She won the Dominion Intermediate Breaststroke Championship twice, and won the Auckland Ladies' Diving Championship at the Shelly Beach Baths in 1932.

In 1937, Jean became the first woman in New Zealand to gain the two highest awards of the Royal Life Saving Society – both the Fresh and Sea Water Diplomas.