I am endebted to Mr Ray Smith of the Victorian Race Walking Club for the following explanation of how our wonderful Championship Medallion came into being.

Many years ago the AFRWC administration decided to move on from an off the shelf variety and present successful competitors with a distinctive championship medallion. Mr John McDougall was AFRWC President at the time and perhaps John can recall the year that we introduced the medallion.

At the time a badge and medallion manufacturer employed me. The K.G. Luke Organisation produced the medals and official badges for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.

Almost every sporting organisation in those years had a metal badge; in fact it was almost obligatory. This placed pressure on us to keep coming up with new and distinctive designs.

Football clubs requested the town's recognisable features (such as mining tools, wheat sheaves, horses, cows, sheep, main street war memorials, etc.) depicted on their badges. The less adventurous settled for goal posts, umpire flags, and of course a 'footy'.

The theme ' WALKING AROUND AUSTRALIA ' was inspired by the reverse side of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games Commemorative Medallion designed by Andor Meszaros which depicts athletes in circular procession. An illustration of this 1956 Medallion may be viewed in the 1956 Recollection pages of the VRWC. website  
See http://www.vrwc.org.au/vrwc56o4.html

Ray Smith, 25 January 2004