Courageous woman's journey from back injury to shearing shed glory

Nicki Guttler, a shearer from Riverina, is believed to be the first woman globally to win two open shearing titles at a single event. She was recovering from a serious back injury just before the competition. Ms Guttler aims to pave the way for female shearing in a traditionally male-dominated field. Initially, she struggled with even tying her shoelaces, but now she has set a potential world record by winning both an open machine and open blade shear on the same day at the same event.

The 32-year-old expressed relief and pride, describing it as a long journey to reach this point. Sports shearing, a tradition in Australia since the late 1800s, involves shearing competitors racing against the clock. Ms Guttler's mother passed on the skill to her, and she progressed from novice to open classes, earning state and national titles along the way.

Due to her back injury, she almost gave up shearing, but her determination led to her recovery. At the 150th Forbes Show, she achieved this groundbreaking feat, inspired by her late grandmother's memory. Guttler's achievements come despite the challenges she faced and the doubts she encountered. Now, she is committed to supporting future female shearing talents and sparking a shift in the male-dominated industry.

Sports Shear NSW, the association behind the competition, expressed pride in Ms Guttler's achievement, highlighting its significance for inspiring more women to participate in the sport.