Two Denton girls won the Amateur Swimming Association’s top medal for personal survival.
The coveted award was presented in 1966 to ten-year-olds Christine Benyon, of Shoecroft Avenue, and Susan Hogg, of Belmont Avenue, who trained at Hyde Baths.
Christine was a pupil at Central Junior School and Susan attended Russell Scott Junior. They had been friends for five years.
Though they were not the youngest to have gained the award, the girls achieved it in double-quick time, passing the bronze badge test in December 1965, followed six months later by the silver medal and finally the gold.
They had to jump into the pool from the balcony fully clothed, tread water, undress in the water, float on the air-filled clothes, swim 40 lengths and climb out of the pool unaided.
Susan’s mum Lilian told the Reporter: “We get exhausted just watching them!”
