General News
6 January, 2026
Women the focus of heavy event expansion
While Maryborough’s High-land Gathering boasts signi-ficant authenticity to century old gatherings in Scotland, it was only six years ago when women became part of the day’s heavy events in a nation first move.
The heavy games are some of the most anticipated and viewed events each year at Maryborough’s High-land Gathering.
Each year, members of Vic Heavy Events descend onto Princes Park and perform impressive acts of human strength and endurance as onlookers watch with envy.
Around 15 athletes attend each year, but the heavy team and those training for events has grown rapidly since the Maryborough Highland Society (MHS) introduced womens events in 2020, making it the first Highland Gathering in Australia to equalise men and women’s heavy games.
MHS’s Nick Weaver said the simple and overdue change followed strong interest from groups elsewhere in Victoria.
“There was another group in Ballarat that came up and wanted to introduce females to the sport too. They wanted to form it and over the years, it just grew and grew, it’s really great to see. We just wanted an event the ladies can do ... it’s snowballed from there,” he said.
“That’s why the heavy games are put where they are, the people in the grand stand get right behind them, they are in the prime position, you can hear them when they get it, or don’t quite get it. The crowd erupts.
“It’s the same with all of our races, if there is a ladies 200 meters and a men’s 200 meters, it’s the same prize for every race. It should all be equal, whether it’s men or ladies. We are really climbing some hills, and making sure everything is on a level playing field for everybody.”
This year’s female team members of Vic Heavy Events can attest to this.
Kel Glaister spent years getting knocked back by members of the male dominated sport, but now has the chance to participate here in Maryborough.
“Part of the reason I joined was out of spite. I lived in Scotland for a while, when I came back six or seven years ago, I wanted to try it, and when I asked around, they said no. I tried several times. But when these guys started up and got the women’s event running, I joined out of spite of the people that told me I couldn’t,” she said.
“You can’t tell me not to.”
Kate McCowan is one of the team’s newest additions, able to jump on board since the heavy games’ expansion.
“I grew up going to highland games with my brother, so I started doing athletics and the masters side of athletics. I had a few people trying to get more female competitors, because it fairly new for women to be competing, it was something that I really wanted to try,” she said.
“It’s novel enough to keep me entertained, and a slightly different challenge, enough for me to really want to give it a go, and such an amazing community willing to teach you and they really want you to do well to the point our president Fran has recommended I try going to New Zealand, so that has given me something to push and work towards.
“Fingers crossed I’ll get a caber over before I go.”
Helen Oakley was proudly one of the team’s premiere female competitors in Maryborough’s Highland Gathering six years ago, thrilled to be part of the long awaited historic move.
“I was very fortunate to be part of the first group of women invited to compete here in 2020, and that was kind of an honour to be able to be part of that history within the highland games in Australia,” she said.
“We are just as entertaining as the boys and we have a great group of people. The games are hard but the group we do them with makes it worthwhile.
“Maryborough is particularly special to us because it was our first for the women. So we will be here every time, every year without fail.”
Ms Glaister agrees. While heavy games are a unique sport, she said Vic Heavy Events have a supportive, helpful and welcoming team that look forward to seeing more women put their strength to the test.
“Obviously it’s a strength sport, but it is also dynamic, there are aspects of endurance, at a certain time of day, you are wrecked. But you’re still trying to get maximum explosive power. It has got a lot of various skills, it’s not just strength,” she said.
“Everyone here wants you to do your best, and will support you to the end. Everyone can give it a shot, there are a variety of people on the team, it rewards being big, tall and having long limbs ... but you don’t have to have that.”