Woolmark Performance Challenge provides an education in wool
Providing tertiary students with an in-depth knowledge of and appreciation for wool is a key component of AWI’s Woolmark Performance Challenge. The educational aspect of the initiative has this year also involved champions from the sports of motocross, auto racing, and off-road cycling explaining what they need from their gear to help them excel.
Since its launch in 2018, the Woolmark Performance Challenge has cemented its place as the world’s leading ideas platform for the sports and performance-wear market, harnessing ground-breaking design with the unique natural properties of Australian Merino wool.
Unlike other competitions which are based solely on design aesthetics, the Woolmark Performance Challenge asks tertiary students to harness the power of engineering and garment technology, as well as nature, to innovate and give athletes advanced apparel solutions.
The industry partner of AWI’s 2025 Woolmark Performance Challenge is Alpinestars, the Italian world-leading manufacturer of apparel and equipment for motor and other action sports. Tertiary students entering the competition were required to choose a brief for one of three sports: motocross (MX), auto racing, and off-road cycling.
For the 2025 competition, 237 educational institutions from 31 countries registered to take part. Submissions closed on 30 May; the finalists will be announced in July and the winners announced in November.
Wool education a key component
Many online and face-to-face events were held across the world during this year’s Woolmark Performance Challenge competition to educate tertiary students about the performance benefits of Australian wool. Pictured are some examples: Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan, Italy (left), Donghua University in Shanghai, China (middle), and University of Oregon, USA (right).
The Woolmark Performance Challenge is much more than a competition. A key element of the initiative is to educate tertiary students about Merino wool.
“The Woolmark Performance Challenge offers an unrivalled opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the world of wool along the supply chain,” said AWI Program Manager - Education Extension, Kelly Mcavoy.
“This educational element of the competition not only arms the students with information to assist in their competition entry, but will also encourage and inspire them to think about wool in their future careers.”
As they progressed through the duration of this year’s competition, the students were educated about the attributes and benefits of the fibre by utilising the Woolmark Learning Centre, and they attended educational webinars and face-to-face training in locations across the world from Woolmark and other industry experts.
In addition, at the beginning of the competition, a 40 minute global webinar from Woolmark and Alpinestars provided expert insights into Merino wool’s place in the sports and outdoor market. A further 60-minute technical innovations webinar from Woolmark provided students globally with an in depth look at the latest innovations in wool, from yarn developments to cutting-edge fabric technologies, dyeing, and finishing advancements.
Insights from sporting champions
A series of videos were this year delivered to students by three sporting champions who provided their first-hand experience of the apparel-related challenges they face during their sport.
Gordon Shedden – auto racing
Three-time British touring car champion Gordon Shedden, who has also been featured many times on the Top Gear TV show, explained the challenges of auto racing.
“It’s really important to operate at high performance when conditions get tough. The car is completely enclosed, there is no air conditioning, you can’t open the windows, and therefore heat is a massive thing when racing. On a warm summer’s day when it is 25°C or 30°C outside, we will see extreme temperatures of up to 60°C inside the car. The challenges are massive,” Gordon said.
“In terms of innovation, who knows where the future will go? Merino wool provides such a versatile material, it can be soft, it can be strong, and it’s particularly lightweight – and these are all key concepts which racing drivers would be really keen to explore.”
Jeffrey Herlings - motocross
With a host of motocross world championships to his name, along with the prestigious record of most GP wins in history, Jeffrey Herlings from The Netherlands, known as ‘The Bullet’, is widely regarded as one of the fastest dirt bike riders of all time and is a living legend in the sport.
Jeffrey talked about how technology needs to keep moving forward to help improve performance and prevent injuries from falls.
“As pants and jerseys got way lighter, my performance started getting better because there was less weight to carry … it really helps us to lose only minimum sweat and keeps us fresh while we are riding,” Jeffrey said.
Bernat Guardia – off-road cycling
Professional mountain bike rider and former World Cup downhill rider Bernat Guardia from Spain explained that one of the main challenges for apparel in his sport is getting the right balance between protection (for a fall) and mobility while riding.
“Something we can benefit from a lot in our sport is having an inner layer that regulates the temperature because we wear a lot of protection, a lot of layers on us which makes us sweat a lot which affects our performance. Something with moisture control and heat control could benefit us a lot,” Bernat said.
“And if that layer can bring some protection that would be awesome because we could get rid of some layers which will provide better mobility.”
More information: www.woolmarkchallenge.com
This article appeared in the Winter 2025 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine that was published in June 2025. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.
