GWEN Colyer never expected to be a sporting coach, but the Mundowran woman said her path to becoming a specialised throwing coach started more than a 15 years ago.

"I started out about 15 or 16 years ago, just coaching my grandsons Mitchell and Nathan,” Colyer said.

The 73-year old is meant to be retired, but coaching up-and-coming athletes takes up a lot of her time.

She runs lessons at the Mundowran property she shares with husband Ken, which keeps her running from after her students get off the bus in the middle of the afternoon until just before the light runs out.

Her property is a thrower's dream, featuring a regulation-sized circle from which students can launch a discus or shot put into a range with distance markers dotting the landscape, along with boards to stop shot puts from rolling away.

Lovingly referred to as 'Ma Gwen' by her students, Colyer cuts a grandmotherly figure which she successfully balances with the 'firm but fair' demeanour of the most serious coaches.

"Turn the hip and punch it up,” she advises as one of her charges warms up in the circle.

"It's all about technique,” she adds.

Despite her obvious passion for throwing sports, Colyer never competed professionally until a Masters event at the age of 65, where the novice managed second place in shot put and first place in discus, whilst also conjuring up the strength to break the tournament's javelin record as each of her throws set a new benchmark.

Setting records is something her students have also taken to - Connor Maeyke and Sophie Zipf both set new records for shot put and Zipf also set a new record for javelin at Burnett State College's Athletics Carnival, which was held on Friday.

Another Colyer student, Dylan Robertson, finished second in discus for his age group at the Wide Bay regional championships, and is now off to the state championships.

Colyer is proud of all of her students - she has about 30 under her wing at the moment - and said those she took on were "like a second family”.

"We treat them like our own grandkids,” she said.

Respect is a big part of why Colyer takes on so many students, but she also firmly believes "the kids”, as she calls them, have helped her bloom as a person.

"It's good being involved because the kids learn to respect older people,” she said.

"I pull them up and instil discipline.

"The kids have brought me out of my shell, I used to be very placid.”

As for what she gets out of giving so much time to training the North Burnett's brightest stars?

"I just like to see the kids improve and achieve,” she said.