By Jared Loughnan
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As Kewal Sheils drives into the main street of Yarrawonga in his yellow 1967 Mustang he turns a few heads. Why wouldn’t people look? It’s a rare vintage car and its V8 engine rhythmically reverberates through Belmore Street.
But as soon Kewal climbed out of the prized vehicle the turning of heads quickly became stares. At 223 centimetres (7ft 3ins) Kewal always stands out from the crowd.
The 30-year-old was invited to return to his home town last week by the crew of Channel Nine’s award winning current affair program, 60 Minutes. With senior reporter Charles Wooley at the helm, the 60 Minutes crew was in Yarrawonga Mulwala on Wednesday and Thursday to document Kewal’s life as Australia’s tallest man.
As soon as Kewal walks away from his Mustang, ironically in front of Belmore’s Street’s tallest structure, the Town Hall, he is greeted by Wooley who welcomes him home and then escorts him to the front steps of the hall where Moira Shire Mayor Libro Mustica proudly hands him the “key” to the shire.
Living and working in Melbourne Kewal seldomly returns home to see family or friends, but as the crew go about their businesses filming, he is recognised by locals who are keen to shake his hand and catch up.
Those that grew up knowing Kewal always knew he was going to be a tall man. But locals are more drawn to his good nature, unique sense of humour rather than his height.
Height is in Kewal’s genes, his mother, Kerry is of Swedish-Irish heritage, is 6ft. His late father, who was Tanzanian and Punjabi Sikh background, was 6ft 4ins.
His first name, pronounced Kay-wul, is perhaps prophetic. “It’s a Swahili name,” Kewal says. “I’m told it means ‘the only’, which is somewhat appropriate if true.”
Charles Wooley also describes Kewal as remarkably easy going.
“He is such an interesting guy he has such a quiet dignity about him. In fact I had a crook neck after looking up to him so much this week,” Wooley joked.
But to Wooley, Kewal has star quality. “Sitting with him, he reminds me of Denzel Washington,” he said.
“I have interviewed many stars in my time and Kewal has such great qualities… more than just the attraction of his height.”
The 30-year-old is extremely likeable, he is softly spoken and you instantly feel a sense of kindness and trustworthiness when you meet him.
The former car salesman, motor-sport watcher and Kanye West fan, now lives alone in Pascoe Vale South in Melbourne’s inner-suburban north-west, which is to say that he is mostly unremarkable.
Except, of course, for the fact he is seven foot three. Put another way, Shiels is roughly the same height as a female Asian elephant, and so people tend to stare in awe whenever he is near them.
Kewal has held the mantle of tallest man in this country since the Australian Book of Records was first printed in 2017.
He says he was never really allowed to be normal. When he was one, he looked like a terrible two. When he was two, he could pass for four. By the time he was in grade 6, he was more than six feet tall.
An only child, Kewal was raised by his mother Kerry around regional Victoria, mostly in Yarrawonga.
Last week Kewal also returned, with the 60 Minutes crew in tow, to his former high school, Sacred Heart College, where he was known as Spider, or Special K.
As Kewal strided through his former schoolyard every student froze for a moment to gawp. As he lumbered among them they stood utterly dumbstruck, beaming and caught in awe.
Kewal has fond memories of his former school. One such memory was when he and his friends used to break school rules by hopping the fence for a swim in Lake Mulwala at lunchtime.
“Surprisingly we never got caught. But when the teacher asked why we had wet hair we would say; “it was hot so we put it under the drinking fountain Miss”.
“I loved going back and seeing the teachers,” Kewal said.
“My old PE teacher Lew Nagle, has even lost weight,” he remarked.
Now the school’s principal Lew Nagle remembers Kewal as a “well-liked student”.
“Kewal was respected by both his peers and his teachers. He had a warm personality and a great sense of humour,” Lew said.
For those locals who are wondering, Kewal still loves playing basketball and still plays it recreationally, as a star centre with the Craigieburn Eagles. After finishing school Kewal ended up at a small college in small-town Iowa USA, on a full scholarship. He never made it as a professional but still loves the game.
Before this 60 Minutes interview Kewal has very rarely dipped his toe into the spotlight. He did an interview with former Gold 104.3 breakfast radio duo “Brig and Lehmo”. He even tried out for a part in the film Alien: Covenant – as the alien – and was flown to Fox Studios in Sydney for a full body plaster cast, but they chose someone else.
“People tell me I should get an agent, but it›s never anything I’ve looked into,” he says.
“It’s fun sometimes to be approached, but I really don’t know if I want that.”
The 60 minutes report on Kewal is expected to broadcast in late March. A more in-depth story on the life of Kewal Sheils will appear in the upcoming Murray River Living Lifestyle Magazine out in late March.