Business

Canadian strongwoman lifts 733-pound Dinnie Stones

By Sohail Khan 17 August 2026, 5:31 pm

Benchmarks
Nifty24,287.65-78.35

FEATURED FUNDS★★★★★

Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund Direct-Growth

5Y Return
23.43 %

Invest Now

Enter search text:

Business News›News›International›Global Trends›Laurie MacDougall Sookraj makes history as only Canadian woman to lift Scotland’s 733-pound Dinnie Stones after first failed attempt and a year of gruelling training. Watch video

Read Today's Paper

Laurie MacDougall Sookraj makes history as only Canadian woman to lift Scotland’s 733-pound Dinnie Stones after first failed attempt and a year of gruelling training. Watch video

Synopsis

Laurie MacDougall Sookraj has made history at the Aboyne Highland Games by successfully lifting the renowned Scotland’s 733-pound Dinnie Stones. With this incredible achievement, she becomes the first Canadian woman to conquer this challenge. After a year of rigorous preparation focused on strength and technique, she joins the elite group of only twenty-two women worldwide to accomplish this feat, having discovered her passion for strength sports in her thirties.

Listen to this article in summarized format

Loading…
×
×

Unlock AI Briefing and Premium Content

New Year Offer 24 Hours Left
Already a member? Sign In

What's Included

Exclusive Stories
Daily ePaper Access
Smart Market Tools
Curated Investment Ideas
Ad-lite Experience
Subscription

For Laurie MacDougall Sookraj, lifting Scotland’s legendary Dinnie Stones was the culmination of a year of intense preparation, determination and strength training. The 43-year-old Campbellville strongwoman successfully lifted the historic stones during the Aug. 1-2 Aboyne Highland Games, becoming just the 22nd woman ever to accomplish the feat, reports Colling Wood Today.

The achievement also made MacDougall Sookraj the only Canadian woman to have successfully lifted the two stones, which have a combined weight of about 733 pounds. But the historic moment did not come easily.

ALSO READ:17-year-old Pennsylvania student Connor Hill wins $250,000 after computer algorithm solves decades-old geometry puzzle, identifying exactly 146 rare 3D shapes

Her first attempt ended in failure

MacDougall Sookraj had been documenting her pursuit of the Dinnie Stones on social media, meaning there was plenty of anticipation surrounding her attempt.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laurie MacDougall Sookraj (@thefulllaurie)

When she finally stepped up to the stones, however, her confidence briefly disappeared. “I felt confident until my first attempt. I didn’t clear the ground because I’m short and have long arms,” said the 43-year-old Campbellville strongwoman, of her unsuccessful initial effort to lift Scotland’s iconic Dinnie Stones during the Aug. 1-2 Aboyne Highland Games. “I was like ‘Oh no, what if I can’t do this?’ Then I thought I have to lift them; I did too many Instagrams.”

ALSO READ: Quote of the Day by Carl Jung: “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making…"

Instead of allowing the failed attempt to get into her head, MacDougall Sookraj quickly reassessed her technique. For her second attempt, she adopted a narrower stance, giving herself more height and a better position. This time, the stones came off the ground.

A place in Dinnie Stones history

MacDougall Sookraj became only the 22nd woman in history to lift the Dinnie Stones. She was also one of five women from around the world to achieve the feat at this year's Aboyne Highland Games.

ALSO READ: In 1974, a Vietnam veteran moved to Alaska for a new life. 14 years later, he became the last person in US history to get a homestead patent

“People who know me well know that when I set a goal I go out and do it,” said the Smile Digital Health software developer of Scottish descent, a strongman games competitor for the past decade. “Being one of the first 25 women all time in the world to lift these specific stones is a pretty cool club to be in.”

The Dinnie Stones have been part of Scotland's strength-sport history for generations. The two massive rocks were originally made in the 1830s as counterweights for the Potarch Bridge. They became famous in 1860 when Scottish strongman Donald Dinnie successfully lifted them. More than 160 years later, they remain one of the most celebrated tests of traditional strength.

A year of preparation for a legendary challenge

MacDougall Sookraj had spent an entire year training specifically for the Dinnie Stones. The challenge requires considerably more than simply having powerful arms. The athlete must combine grip strength, balance, positioning and full-body power to get the stones off the ground.

Her experience also demonstrated how important technique can be. After failing to clear the stones during her first attempt, changing her stance helped her find the position necessary to complete the lift.

The accomplishment qualified her for the Dinnie Day Gathering's Dr. Jan Todd Games, named after Jan Todd, who became the first woman to lift the Dinnie Stones in 1979.

MacDougall Sookraj finished sixth overall in the competition, with one of her strongest performances coming in the 286-pound stone carry, where she managed a 22-foot effort.

From discovering powerlifting to lifting historic stones

MacDougall Sookraj's journey into strength sports began relatively late. She was not particularly interested in sports during her youth or early adulthood. It was in her 30s, after discovering the now-defunct online fitness game and social network Fitocracy, that she became interested in serious exercise and powerlifting.

“There were other people power lifting, doing CrossFit, etc. I thought ‘Wow, there’s all this cool stuff out there, I want to try it’.”

That curiosity eventually led her into strongman competitions and a wide range of physical challenges, including the traditional Scottish caber toss and the gruelling car walk at the 2021 Official Strongman Games in Daytona Beach, Florida. She has also experimented with activities including fencing and the flying trapeze.

More than just a 733-pound lift

The physical strain of the Dinnie Stones was immediate. “The whole time you have it (lifted) your body is like ‘please stop doing this!’,” she quipped. “Afterwards my ears felt hot, just because there’s so much blood pumping through your whole body. It’s a full body movement; everything gets involved.”

Yet for MacDougall Sookraj, the significance of the achievement goes far beyond lifting 733 pounds.

“It’s not necessarily the act of picking up two rocks that counts; it’s the person you become. Being someone who can pick up those two heavy rocks is the cool part.”

That philosophy may be the most fitting description of her remarkable journey — from discovering strength training in her 30s to becoming the only Canadian woman to lift Scotland's iconic Dinnie Stones.

Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
Add Now!

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

Read More News on
Laurie MacDougall SookrajDinnie StonesAboyne Highland GamesCanadian strongwomanScotland Dinnie StonesDonald Dinniewomen in strength sportsDr Jan Todd Gameshistoric stone lifting

Enter search text:

Continue reading with one of these options:
Limited Access
Free
Login to get access to some exclusive stories

& personalised newsletters
Login Now

Unlimited Access
Starting @ Rs120/month
Get access to exclusive stories, expert opinions &

in-depth stock reports
Subscribe Now

Unlock Access to All Exclusives with ETPrime FREE TRIAL

15 Days Free: Unlock All ETPrime Exclusives, Market Tools & ePapers

Trial offer expiring in00 : 05 : 00

I'd rather pay ₹2599 now

Uh-oh! This is an exclusive story available for selected readers only.

Worry not. You’re just a step away.

Prime Account Detected!

It seems like you're already an ETPrime member with

Log out of your current logged-in account and log in again using your ET Prime credentials to enjoy all member benefits.

Unlock ETPrime's Exclusive Stories Today!

Subscribe to gain powerful insights on business, stock market and industry trends.

Big Price Drop! Flat 40% Off

Student Only Offer

Already a Member? Sign In now

Already a Member? Sign In now
Already a Member? Sign In now

Offer Exclusively For You

Save up to Rs. 700/-

ON ET PRIME MEMBERSHIP

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get Flat 40% Off

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

ET Prime at ₹ 49 for 1 month

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Special Offer

Get flat 40% off on ETPrime

Avail Offer
Avail Offer

Claim NowAlready a Member? Sign In now

Need Assistance?

Connect with an ETPrime expert for personalized support and guidance

+91 9484700004

' + h3 + '

' + h4 + '

' + listing + '

What’s Included with

ETPrime Membership

1Exclusive Insights That Matter

Uncover the truth with our investigative stories

Make strategic moves using the real-world case studies

Read industry-specific stories to identify emerging trends

Spot opportunities with in-depth insights that matter

Trump temper on H-1B visas is forcing Indians to do these things to stay put in US

What Adani’s US indictment means for India Inc’s overseas fundraising
Why veterans like Reliance, L&T are on acquisition spree? Aswath Damodaran has an answer.

Will China’s dollar bond sale in Saudi Arabia trump the US in financial world?
Huawei launches its own OS to compete with Google and Apple. But can it win beyond China?

The problem with lab grown diamonds
Why a falling rupee is a better option for the economy

A list of top 20 momentum stocks that have delivered massive returns in one year