RXP Rural Sportswoman of the Year Award

Congratulations On Winning the RXP New Zealand Rural Sportswoman of the Year Award! Could you please introduce yourself and share how you got into timbersports?

Hi there, I’m Anne Paterson, currently living in Blackbutt, Queensland, originally from Greymouth, New Zealand. My family had a dairy farm, so I grew up milking cows and doing general farm work. One day, after I had left high school and was back working on the farm, a family friend of ours asked me to come along and do some chopping practice in his shed. Well, that was it – I fell in love with chopping! It was something so different, but so challenging. I just really enjoyed the adrenaline.

Afterwards, I came to find out that my grandfather and his brothers were all timber cutters who worked in the bush and the sawmills back when they were younger. So I guess, chopping must have been in my blood.

Was there a crossover in the skills you used on the farm and the skills that make you good at timbersports?

The physical strength it takes to work on the farm was a big asset. I was already quite strong, which you need for picking up and swinging an axe.

Was anyone else your age participating in timber sports at that time or was it something associated with an older generation?

It was the older generation at the time, but eventually as I was training, I met another girl my age. So we were able to do it together and I would compete with her on the weekends at small shows in the Greymouth Hokitika area. She’s still at it today, in fact, she was in the line-up of the 12 women that were competing on stage at these games, so that was pretty cool.

What’s your training regimen like?

Training is really just chopping and sawing logs. Where I live now is a timber farm, so I’m lucky to have an endless supply of wood. By the way – none of that practice wood gets wasted – we just split it up into smaller pieces for firewood and the wood chips can be used for kindling.

I tend to focus my training based on the particulars of the upcoming competition. Each event features a different type of wood. That’s important because there’s lots of small adjustments to make depending on the wood. It could be the type of axes or saws you use, or the method of cutting. So you’ve got to prepare yourself like that.

Do you find competition stressful?

It depends on the size of the competition. There’s a little bit of anxiousness or nervousness going into the big competitions. But it’s definitely combined with excitement there because it’s such a thrill being out there and being on the world stage.

Is there a higher risk of injury in timbersports vs. more traditional sports?

No, probably not. I played netball my whole teenage life and I probably had more injuries during that than I have with chopping. We have safety precautions with chainmail that we wear underneath our shoes and pants. And you get taught how to safely chop.

How does being a woman in timbersports differ from being a man? Do you feel you ever have to prove yourself?

Yes sometimes, but most of the men are actually really great. They are so supportive of us women competing. There’s been more and more women’s specific chops at the shows. We’re probably not as physically strong as the men, but in the events that are more about skill than strength, like chainsaw racing, we’re very well matched. Actually at the Stihl comp, I beat a couple of the fellas in that kind of race.

At some of our local shows there’s open events, like sawing, underhand chop, or chainsawing where it’s men, women, under-age, everyone can compete. In those events, women definitely come out on top – which is really cool.

Did you have any female mentors or role models in timbersports?

Sheree Taylor, she’s incredible – in her early 70s and still up there competing. She’s been part of women’s timbersports right from the start, chopping for over 40 years. She loves to see younger women getting into the sport – she’s always really welcoming and supportive. And there’s heaps of other ladies that have been competing in small numbers and they’ve really created a sport out of chopping for women.

Do you try to mentor other women in timbersports?

Absolutely. I try to come off as approachable and encouraging to any girls that have started chopping because it’s really good to see more women in our sport. I’m happy to give them some advice or just lend a hand and help out in any way. I would say to any girls or women thinking about getting into chopping – Do it! And don’t be shy to approach anyone that is competing, we’re all keen to grow our sport. Come and have a go, it’s so much fun and it’s such a great community to be involved with.

Last week was International Women’s Day – We wanted to know what challenges you’ve faced as a woman living and working in the rural environment…

I’ve got two brothers, so I’ve always been at a challenge. So just being able to prove to myself and them that I can do what they can do. And proving that I can look after the farm just as well as anyone else.

What do you love about the rural lifestyle?

I like the quiet, I like the space, it’s very peaceful out here in the countryside. I guess you could say I’ve always been an outdoorsy person. I love working with animals, growing up we had 300-odd cows so it feels natural to me. These days I live out in the bush on a farm with my partner. We work with trees, we’ve got a log-yard where we produce firewood and milled timber.

Does your partner participate in your training?

I’m quite lucky in that regard, as my boyfriend is also a woodchopper. It’s a huge part of our life at the moment as we both travel quite a bit on the weekends to chop. We even compete in a few events as a team. Timbersports is very family friendly – You’ll often see generations of woodchoppers competing together – kids, parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents showing up. It’s a really special activity that people of all ages can share.

Do you feel you’ve gained a community through timbersports?

Absolutely. There’ve been so many people I’ve met, including lifelong friends, through wood chopping. But it’s not just choppers, there’s a lot of crossover in rural sports – it’s pretty common that a sheep shearer will chop and that sort of thing. You meet everyone.

How does participating in Timbersports benefit you in other areas of your life?

It’s taught me discipline and drive. Chopping has really pushed me to break the boundaries of what I’m capable of.

Now that you’ve become The NZ Rural Sportswoman of the year, what’s next for you?

To be honest, I did not expect to win this award – but I’m really motivated by it. It makes me feel like trying to kick a few goals, you know? This year I’m headed overseas for an international competition, so I’d love to bank a podium finish for that one…maybe even gold!