A woman from New South Wales has set a new world record by shearing over 500 merino lambs in a single day. Nikki Lyons accomplished this feat on Wednesday at a shearing shed near Marnoo in Victoria's Wimmera region. The 38-year-old sheared 502 lambs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., spending nine hours actively using clippers. This record was unprecedented for women in the field.

Despite her achievement, Lyons expressed some disappointment about the lambs she did not shear. "That's the thing about records, you've always got more," she said with a laugh. This accomplishment marked a significant moment for Lyons, who had previously set the eight-hour shearing record last year, only to see it surpassed shortly after.

Lyons chose to attempt the record in Victoria instead of her home state due to the cleaner and easier-to-remove lambswool. She began her shearing career years ago but shifted her focus to raising her family of four. Achieving this world record fulfilled a promise she made to herself as a teenager. "I'm proud that I kept a promise to my 17-year-old self and that as a woman, I still got back up and did something after having children," she stated.

After taking a decade off to raise her children, Lyons returned to shearing during the COVID-19 pandemic, which created a shortage of shearers. Reflecting on her journey, she said, "I've had a few moments this morning just sitting in the shed and I just thought, 'Wow, all of this has been 21 years in the making.'" She noted the emotional support she received from those around her, saying, "It was really moving to see so many people with a tear in their eye for you, and for your achievement. It's definitely a moment you keep with you for the rest of your life."

The day after her record-setting attempt, Lyons was back to work, feeling better than expected. "My knees are a little bit sore, but otherwise I feel really good," she said. She acknowledged the physical challenge of transitioning from a stay-at-home mom's fitness to that required for world record shearing.

Lyons set the record with a strong support team, including family, farmers, and fellow shearers. Sacha Bond, who holds the nine-hour strongwool lamb world record, praised Lyons, saying, "She's an incredible person, she has a heart of gold, she's very genuine, she's super driven. Nikki has put a lot of effort into building her focus, and that can be looked at similar to [building] muscle."

Tim Redman, a contractor who has worked with Lyons for 15 years, described her as "incredible." He noted her dedication, saying, "She puts the kids on the school bus and rushes to the shed, sets up real quick and gets straight into them, shearing 60, 70, 80 [lambs in] a run. She blows a lot of the blokes away, impresses everyone, does an incredible job, packs up by three [o'clock] and goes home to get the kids off the school bus. What she does, it'd break a lot of people … she's done more than most people will ever do."

Looking ahead, Lyons is uncertain about her future and whether she will pursue more record attempts. However, she is eager for a more relaxed lifestyle. "There's a little bit of me that's sad that it's over, although I'm pretty sure I'll look forward to a few sleep-ins and not 4 a.m. starts and gym sessions," she said. Regardless of her next steps, her passion for the wool industry remains strong. "Australia was built on the sheep's back, the wool industry made our country," she remarked. "Now I'm asking our country to build our industry back up, and we need more people to buy our wool."