Shearing the Sheep, Wearing the Wool: Nikki Lyons’ Record for Merino

It was the most recent accredited nine-hour Merino lamb shearing world record for a woman – a new global benchmark achieved after 18 months of preparation, both physically and mentally.

To attempt the record, Nikki was dressed entirely in Australian Merino wool.

From her IO Merino sports bras to her custom Merino denim shearing pants, every layer was chosen with purpose.

“I always wanted to be able to showcase wool, especially Merino wool,” Nikki said.

“It has the reputation of being that itchy, granny-like sweater feel and people can’t get that out of their minds. So, to stand up there and shear and do something really hot and physical in wool – it really shows the benefits of wool.”

On record day, the temperature reached 27 degrees, yet Nikki said her fan never went past number two.

“Wool wicked that moisture away from me,” she said. “And we are limited in our wool clothing choices as shearers, so I had to find them.”

Nikki wore Willpower’s Racer-Back Wool Blend Shearing singlets, readily available for purchase, which she favours day to day, for their outer durability and the Merino wool lining’s softness against the skin. In choosing the undergarments, she sought the same tactile requirements, trying and testing until she landed on the IO Merino Pace Sports Bra.

Finding the right fit Merino Dungarees, however, proved the most challenging yet culminated in such a fruitful collaboration across the Australian wool sector and abroad, resulting in a custom prototype pair of Merino wool denim shearing trousers, designed to pay homage to the history of Australian sheep shearing and celebrate Australian Merino Wool.

With an essential need for made to measure pants and an established relationship with Courela Clothing, Nikki approached Founder, Kerry Johnson in Streaky Bay, South Australia, who has been custom making shearing work wear for a loyal customer base for almost 38 years, including Nikki and her shearer husband Fergus.

“The Merino denim was lighter and cooler, they felt amazing – the stretch in them was incredible. A lot of shearing pants aren’t made from 100% natural fibres, so they don’t have that give.”

NIKKI LYONS, SHEARER, NSW

Kerry told Nikki if she was able to source appropriate Merino Wool fabric for the pants, she would sew them.

The hunt for fabric, worthy of a world record, was tasked to MerinoWA’s, Ann Marie Bradstreet, who after a prudent conversation with AWI Wool Harvesting trainer, Amanda Davis, decided Merino wool denim would be the perfect choice.

Serendipitously, Nikki, Ann Marie and AWI Program Manager, Kelly McAvoy had met in February 2025, mindfully brought together by outgoing MerinoWA (SMBWA) president, Michael Campbell for their annual AGM Speaker’s Forum, Weaving our Future, Stronger Together, where Kelly was keynote speaker.

Michael, who fosters relationships within the industry and encourages innovative projects, sowed the seed for the trio bonding over their shared passion for promoting the wool industry through all levels of the supply chain.

Thus, when accessing appropriate wool denim options proved difficult, MerinoWA naturally reached out to Kelly, who was integral in working with her international colleagues, who diligently sought and provided the right twill, fit for purpose. 

The 63% Merino to 37% Cotton blend with a 314gsm was the perfect recipe for a double denim lined record breaking shearing trouser.

“The Merino denim was lighter and cooler,” Nikki said.

“They felt amazing – the stretch in them was incredible. A lot of shearing pants aren’t made from 100% natural fibres, so they don’t have that give.” Nikki said comfort was crucial when it came to her performance.

“Especially in a record situation, being comfortable is extremely important because if something is annoying you, the focus has gone from shearing the sheep to ‘gee I wish there was more stretch in that left knee right now!’” Nikki said.

Kerry’s knowledge and experience of the shearing industry was an essential component in customising the Courela Shearing Trouser, designed to be comfortable, facilitate movement and meet the extreme physical demands of Nikki’s challenge.

Training for the record meant pushing her limits. She worked with UK-based personal trainer Matt Luxton, who has trained several record holders, completing strength and conditioning sessions throughout the week, in which she trained in IO Merino and Homestead Road Merino garments.

Because she normally shears for about four and a half hours a day, to accommodate school pick up for her four children, and needed to double that time to eight hours, Nikki added afternoon workouts to build endurance.

Her preparation also extended to diet, with careful balance between protein and carbohydrates, depending on her workload.

During the record, she ate what she would on a normal working day and added small quick-energy foods to stay consistent.

“Things like smoothies and jelly were easy to eat and digest in a half-hour break,” she said.

Finding the right sheep for the attempt was also a challenge. Nikki said she “chased the sheep” to Victoria because she needed animals that were consistent and suitable for a record attempt.

Despite the long buildup and attention around her record, Nikki remains humble.

“Doing the record was a personal goal,” she said.

 “This industry has given me a home. To this day, it’s how we pay for our bills and put food on the table for our kids. It felt like my way of giving back to the industry.”

She said the attempt wasn’t about recognition.

“The world didn’t need to know why I was doing the record – it was personal. I’m really grateful I did it because I made a promise to my younger self.”

However, Nikki wanted to use her public platform for a purpose close to her heart, she wants to inspire everyone to wear wool, just as she inspired so many in the industry to get behind her record challenge, making it possible for her and her team, who wore custom shirts by The Merino Polo, to wear the precious fibre she harvests.

Left: Nikki in action during her record attempt, where preparation, precision and the right sheep were just as critical as strength and endurance. Right: Wearing custom Merino denim trousers developed through collaboration with Courela Clothing, MerinoWA and AWI.PHOTOS: James Braszell Photography

When practicality meets design  

For Kerry Johnson, founder and long-time designer behind Courela Clothing, the creation of the Merino denim trouser was more than just another project – it was the culmination of a lifetime’s work and something she was honoured to collaborate on.

“I was thrilled to think Nikki and Ann Marie were both confident in my ability to produce a product they wanted, and I was more than happy with their acceptance of my opinions.”

After decades dedicated to crafting functional, hard-wearing garments for rural Australians, the collaboration with Nikki, MerinoWA and AWI became a swan song of sorts, as she prepares for retirement and sale of the business.

These trousers represented the union of practicality and design, of tradition and innovation.

Kerry, Nikki and Ann Marie share a close working relationship built on respect, and a shared appreciation for well-made clothing, which lends itself to mindful functional design, harking to the rich history of an iconic Australian industry.

“I felt very proud of Nikki and her achievements and pleased that my garments didn’t cause her any obstructions in reaching her goal.”

KERRY JOHNSON, COURELA CLOTHING, SA

Kerry knows her craft, her creative spirit and no-nonsense pragmatism was a perfect match for Nikki’s practical needs, her tactile response to clothing and Ann Marie’s creative leanings of celebrating when function meets fashion.

“When practicality meets design, we get excited, we bonded over old Milroy catalogues,” Ann Marie said.

Kerry knows exactly what a working shearer needs, she has responded to their feedback over decades, but she also has an eye for detail and history that makes her pieces special.

She decided to use the orange stitching on the blue Merino denim in honour of Nikki’s husband, Fergus’ preferred aesthetic for his own custom dungas.

Kerry’s own husband, Grub, a shearer, was her inspiration for making her first pair of shearing pants and has used their combined wisdom in the design of these shearing trousers with a deep understanding of what matters on the board.

The stretch side panel was a key feature – an innovation she had long championed to improve fit, flexibility and comfort.

“I had trialled the idea of a complete stretch side component to the sides of the trousers for 18 months, and had good reports and decided Nikki didn’t need any restrictions to her movement due to an ill-fitting garment on her big day.” Kerry said.

The trousers maintained a traditional aesthetic while incorporating practical design features that made them perfectly suited to the demands of record-day shearing.

The story of how these humble pair of pants came to be is one of remarkable dedication.

The Merino denim fabric arrived in Streaky Bay on the Wednesday before the record attempt, after freight delays threatened to derail the project entirely.

A long weekend further hindered delivery and if the package hadn’t landed that morning, the dearly held plan would have been over before it began.

Kerry, with her unflappable can-do attitude, accepted the challenge, as she has done since the inception of Courela.

She worked through the day – cutting, sewing, filming, and sending off the finished trousers that same afternoon to ensure they reached Victoria in time, despite her father-in-law having been hospitalised the day before.

“It was an intense long weekend talking to chatbots until reaching a real person at DHL in business hours, who happened to love sheep, was inspired by the story and moved mountains to get the package to Streaky Bay in time,” Ann Marie said.

“For Kerry to sew those pants in one day, with everything she  was going through, was incredible. The Courela Wool Denim Shearing Trouser is a testament to her skill and character.”

For Kerry, it was the climax of her design career – a final, defining project that embodied everything she’s learned and loved about Australian wool and the people who wear it.

“I felt very proud of Nikki and her achievements and pleased that my garments didn’t cause her any obstructions in reaching her goal,” Kerry said.

“The future is very bright for Courela Clothing, for an entrepreneurial person. After 38 years, I’m ready to retire and pass the baton to the next generation of creatives. We have a great country and a great industry to be involved in.”

The collaboration has marked a moment of teamwork across the industry and the country. Nikki, Ann Marie and Kerry all acknowledge Kelly McAvoy from AWI as an integral part of making the idea a reality and are so grateful for her shared enthusiasm and being part of their creative team.

“Kelly really opened the door for us on this project,” Nikki said.

“It wouldn’t have happened without her help.” Nikki, Ann Marie and Kerry hope to continue their partnership, exploring new designs that might incorporate the remaining Merino denim fabric.

“Nikki and Kerry are such inspirations with a wealth of knowledge, experience and passion and I believe creative stories and projects within the wool industry have immense potential in the global marketing of Australian Merino Wool, the narrative is a powerful tool.” Ann Marie said.

This article appeared in Issue 105 of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine that was published in March 2026. Reproduction of the article is encouraged and should be attributed as follows: This article was first published in Issue 105 of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine.