Mckayla Grobler’s Record Shot

14 January 2026

Mckayla Grobler’s Record Shot 

At the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships last month in Melbourne there were the usual dozen or so championships bests, but ranked above all of those performances was just one Australian (able-bodied) record. That outstanding achievement was recorded by Mudgee’s Mckayla Grobler in the under-16 girls shot put. She will commence her 2026 campaign this weekend at the NSW Country Championships in Dubbo.

In early 2024 Mckayla Grobler, 13, was just missing the medals at NSW and Australian championships reaching distances of around 12.60m with the shot (3kg). In August 2024 she joined the Ernie Shankelton squad based in Cowra, a three-hour journey each-way. Now under an internationally successful throws coach, by the end of the 2024/25 summer, Grobler would add nearly three metres to her PB, and winning the Australian under-16 title in Perth in April.

Under coach-Shankelton, there was a major a technical shift.
“The biggest contributing factor to my success in distance was due to changing from the glide technique to the rotational shot put technique combined with a dedicated strength and conditioning program in the gym. My training schedule increased weekly including training throughout the off season,” Grobler said.

Her progression continued late in 2025, as she embarked on her 2025/26 season. She reached a PB of 15.39m on November 1 at the NSW All Schools. Then five weeks later in Melbourne was the big one. The Australian under-16 shot put record stood at 16.17m and her training indicated it was on the cards.
“I had consistently thrown the distance (16+ metres) since October and was confident in my abilities.”
But the distance was not the priority for the competition.
“I did not focus on it (the record) as I knew I could throw that far so I concentrated on the actual competition.”
On her second throw she destroyed her old PB of 15.39m, with a distance of 15.99m. She was now just 18cm short of the record. Then in the third record, she nailed it, with a mark of 16.39m.
It broke the 2005 record of 16.17m set by Margaret Satupai. 

Grobler, a Year 10 student attending St Matthews Catholic School in Mudgee, is aiming to the take down the under-17 record at the Australian championships in April, and also the Australian U18 record (17.27m). She is also aiming at competing with the heavier 4kg implement at the Australian U20 and open championships and even a shot at the World U20 Championships, where she would need to improve a metre to hit the selection standard of 14.50m. 

This weekend at the NSW Country Championships in Dubbo, Grobler will compete in the under-20 and under-16 shot out events.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Image Mckayla Grobler at the NSW All Schools (image courtesy of Greg Griffis)