Pioneers. Engineers. Change makers
In January 2025, our Junior School girls didn’t know how to use a wrench. Six months later, they were competing on the international stage. Last week, they took to the stage at an exclusive Sydney conference, presenting to business leaders to share their extraordinary journey.
Hear how Australia’s first all-girls Formula Goblin team transformed from novice builders into global racers, successfully raised $45,000, and came home to inspire a national STEM movement. This video is proof that at Pymble, our slogan ‘Watch us change the world’ is a reality.
From Workshop to World Stage
The Challenge: Becoming Australia’s Pioneers
Formula Goblin is a global program where young people aged 9 to 12 design, build, and race their own electric cars. But for the girls at Pymble, it was more than a program – it was a mission. When they started, they didn’t just join a team; they created one, accepting the challenge to become Australia’s first-ever Formula Goblin pioneers.
From Zero to Sixty: The Five-Week Dash
When the girls started in January, they were starting from absolute scratch. “None of us even knew how to use a wrench or spanner,” they admit. They had no prior experience and no idea how to drive a car, but they had unparalleled determination. Sacrificing their weekends, they came together to school, teaching themselves the fundamentals of engineering. In a display of incredible grit, they built their entire car in just five weeks. They became self-taught experts, learning to wire electronics, cut bodywork, problem-solve, maintain, and trust each other entirely.
The $45,000 Pitch: Funding Their Own Dream
With the car built, they faced their next, unexpected hurdle: they were building too fast, with no other Australian teams to race against yet. Instead of waiting, they set a new, audacious mission: race internationally in the UK. Their marketing team, composed entirely of ten and eleven-year-old girls, successfully pitched to local businesses, raising a phenomenal $45,000 to fund their logistics and international resources. They didn’t wait for permission or funding; they created the opportunity themselves.
Driving Change and Leading the Way
When they arrived in the UK, they raced against teams with decades of experience. What happened next proved the unstoppable spirit of a Pymble girl.
- Champions: They won an entire event in Cornwall, clinching the slalom, drag race, sprint, and the overall championship.
- Global Success: They finished 6th overall out of 85 international teams at the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit.
- Pioneers: They have since inspired a new EV race community in Sydney and have been recognised as the one of the first Greenpower Australia Centre of Excellence, demonstrating that at Pymble, STEM is a mindset.
They came back to Australia as champions, ready for the next challenge, Formula 24, and determined to inspire more girls to lead through STEM.
