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

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.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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“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.