Lessons Learned From Providing Chiropractic Care to a World Record-Setter

chiropractor, shearing world record, Nikki Lyons

395. That’s how many merino lambs 37-year-old Nikki Lyons sheared during an eight-hour window last November on her way to becoming the first woman to set a world record for shearing merino lambs.

Not only is it a physically gruelling task, but also mentally, requiring hours of laser-focused concentration and perseverance to overcome the pain and obstacles and achieve glory.

“There’s definitely an art to it,” she told the ABC. In that respect, she could be compared to Picasso or Michael Jackson; someone who has achieved the highest of highs in their chosen art form.

Nikki fell deeply in love with shearing while attending a Western Australian agricultural school at the age of 17. So much so, she took a pre-university gap year to try her hand at it before eventually dedicating the next six years of her life travelling the country shearing.

Eventually, she settled in the small town of Good Hope, roughly 12 kilometres south-west of Yass, in the New South Wales Southern Tablelands, where she met her husband.

For 10 years, Nikki didn’t shear – her priorities having shifted to starting and raising a family. But shearing was never far from her mind during her break, ultimately leading to her realising how much of her identity was tied to her passion.

A diagnosis of arthritis 18 months before her world record watered a seed that had been planted 20 years earlier when she heard about the feats of Dwayne Black, a Western Australian shearer setting world records, and the fact there were, at the time, no female merino shearing world records. 

I received the diagnosis of arthritis in my knees. And it was the realisation that if I wanted to do this, I had to do it soon,” she said.

So, I got an MRI and the diagnosis. I gave it 12 months, did the MRIs again to check how they were wearing. Once they had held (over) that 12 months, with the use of chiropractic care and personal training, I thoughtgreat, I’m in. Let’s do it.’”

chiropractor, Nikki Lyons world record
chiropractor, Nikki Lyons world record

And so began an intense training cycle where Nikki rose before the sun six days a week to undertake strength, cardio, and mobility training. Among the team supporting her along the way were her shearing coach, incidentally Dwayne Black, a mindset coach, and her chiropractor, Dr Jason Barritt from Body Mind Empowerment Centre in Canberra.

Jason was not only by her side in the weeks and months preceding her world record but also throughout the big day, treating her in each break.

At the event, she also had a personal trainer, and a five-times world record holder coach. While they were eager to start their sessions, she insisted on receiving chiropractic care first.

Whilst initially apprehensive to allow Jason’s treatment to eat away at Nikki’s precious break minutes, he reveals their scepticism turned to support once they saw the positive impact of the chiropractic treatment on Nikki’s strength and endurance.

Jason believes his experience highlights a key lesson any chiropractor collaborating with the support team of an athlete or high-performing individual must learn and understand: “Get the whole team onside.”

While some may view Jason’s frequent treatment of Nikki as excessive, he believes another lesson all chiropractors should take from his experience: Understand that what’s considered excessive can change from case to case.

“We’re taught in school not to provide excessive treatment,” he explains. “But we all must decide our own boundaries regarding this and have the courage to stand firm, even if it means differing from conventional practices.”

He believes this dynamic is yet another valuable lesson his experience supporting Nikki can teach all chiropractors: Listen to your patients and work in unison with them.

Jason explains how this collaborative dynamic between himself and Nikki came to life during his treatment of her on the day her record was set.

“Firstly, I made sure to listen to her if she had any particular issues or concerns,” he recalls. “Secondly, I reminded myself of what her problem areas were and then quickly assessed everything.”

In such cases, Jason stresses the importance of having more up your sleeve than purely structural adjusting, when treating someone as frequently as he treated Nikki.

After months of work and hours of a physically gruelling yet beautiful dance between Nikki and nearly 400 merino lambs, she finally got there, with her achievement having a lasting impact on Jason.

“It’s nothing short of awe inspiring to see that human capacity and, for me, strength, and effort, and flexibility,” he says.

“Some people might look at that and just see the endurance and the determination, but as a chiropractor I can look at that and see so much more.”

This story of Nikki Lyons and her chiropractic journey not only illuminates the profound physical demands of sheep shearing but also underscores the critical role of integrative care in achieving peak performance. Nikki’s record-setting achievement is a testament to the power of dedication, the importance of listening to one’s body, and the effectiveness of chiropractic care in maintaining health and enhancing endurance under extreme conditions.