First woman to compete for Great Britain at Timbersports champs

What appeared to be a “bizarre” chat-up line has led to a woman making history as the first female to represent Great Britain at the World Timbersports Championships.

Rachel Ferrington from Hay-on-Wye, Herefordshire, will take her place in Milan this weekend alongside four men in the GB team, which includes Rob Chatley from Hanley Broadheath in Worcestershire.

She decided to try the sport after meeting a coach from Stihl, the chainsaw manufacturer that sponsors the championship, who asked her if she had ever chopped wood.

Ms Ferrington said: “I took his number and ignored it for a few weeks and then met him at the local training centre, and the rest is history.”

It turned out not to be a chat-up line, he is still her coach today, and Ms Ferrington said he had been “responsible for all my success”.

The 44-year-old Hay Castle facilities manager booked her place after setting a women’s world record in the sport, which involves using chainsaws and axes to slice through logs at speed.

Ms Ferrington said: “I didn’t know the sport existed three years ago, so going to worlds is pinch-yourself stuff.”

In June she set a new world record in the stock saw event, cutting two wooden “cookies” in just 8.82 seconds.

“Never in a million years did I think I would be going to the world championships,” she added.

Mr Chatley said the sport had been growing in popularity in recent years. He said: “We’re slowly coming on in the UK – there’s close to 80 axemen now. A lot more ladies have started competing in the last five to 10 years.”

He added that the Great Britain team was “up against the best in the world”, with the top countries being Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada.

“Our goal is top three in Europe,” he said.

The championship, now in its 45th year, sees teams compete in a relay of four disciplines, including the stock saw, underhand chop, single buck and standing block chop, in front of millions of viewers around the world.

The British team, which finished 13th last year, has spent months in training camps preparing for the event.

They will compete against athletes from more than 20 countries, watched by an estimated 20 million people worldwide.

The rest of Team GB includes Glen Penlington and Rowan Luxton from Wales, Graham Turner from Scotland and Tom Redmond from Dorset.