THE STRENGTH, stamina, speed and skill that shearers embody on a daily basis simply performing their job is being proposed as worthy of the Olympics.
During competitions shearers compete against the clock to shear as many sheep as possible with precision, avoiding nicks and cuts to the sheep which impacts the quality of the wool.
It allows shearers to showcase their skills, speed, and efficiency, right across the industry.
A young shearer from WA, Kaylee Sander, has started a petition to include Shearing and Wool Handling as an Exhibition Sport in the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
Chloe Dann is a small mob sheep shearer based in South Gippsland and has seen a few conversations about the topic over the years but remains on the fence about shearing becoming an Olympic sport.
“It's a hard one because it's hard to know how shearing would be received by people who know nothing about the industry. For people that have a bit of an idea, it's such an incredible skill, and it's wonderful watching people, particularly really good shearers.”
Read more in the coming edition.
