Women of Woodchopping highlights the empowerment of Australia’s oldest sport
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For Cheyanne Girvan, picking up an axe to try her hand at woodchopping was the confidence boost she needed.
Moving to Canberra in 2011 to attend university, she fell in love with the sport when each week her brother and his woodchopping coach would pick her up and take her along to training sessions.
Coming from a sporty background, Cheyanne was instantly intrigued and only had one question as she watched her brother chop through the log: “Where are all the girls?”.
“They told me there’s an Australian team and that I should try it. Six months later I was the first girl on the New South Wales under 21’s side,” she says.
Now, after 11 years of competing in woodchopping, Cheyanne is the most experienced axewoman in Canberra.
Coming away with a blue ribbon from the Royal Easter Show (also known as Wimbledon of woodchopping) in 2021, she is now trying to give back to the sport that helped her when she needed it most.
Working with the Hall and District Axeman’s Club, Cheyanne is the head of the Women of Woodchopping (WOW) program.
Designed to help women test their strength and build their confidence, the WOW program kicks off at the end of April for those who want to try the sport in a safe and supportive environment.
Also running Axellerate, a unique boot camp designed to improve the performances of axemen and axewomen, Cheyanne hopes other women will experience the same empowerment she did when she first swung the axe.
“It’s just something that I felt included from the get-go…I come from a pretty sporty background, I did high-level equestrian sport and I just didn’t find any enjoyment in anything like that,” she says.
“So this was a bit left-field but I didn’t feel excluded in any way—I was a bigger girl growing up. I was judged a fair bit for my size, I was asked ‘How can you be fat and fit?’ and I got none of that in woodchopping.”
Credit: Head First Photos
Originally beginning in Tasmania during the 1870s after a bet was made in a bar, woodchopping competitions see axemen and axewomen take part in up to six events, from tree felling to underhand woodchopping.
According to Cheyanne, while there are not many women competing in the sport, for those who find their niche in the swing of the axe there’s potential to make it into the Australian team once they show their skills and strength at the Royal Canberra Show.
“It would be great to see the sport flourish again. We’ve been hit pretty hard with COVID as many sports have been, but we rely heavily on little local shows,” she explains.
“We don’t get the funding that the big sports get…So it’s just really an important part of our Australian image.”
Accepting axe-enthusiasts from age 12 and up, no matter their experience, to get involved with the Hall and District Axeman’s Club and Axellerate all you need to do is be willing to give it a try.
“You work out pretty early on whether it’s something that you’re going to stick to or not, but everyone’s welcome to try,” she says.
“It’s just empowering using something that could cause a lot of damage if it’s not used correctly and it’s really rewarding when you get it right.”
For more information contact hallanddistrictaxemensclub@gmail.com or message the Hall and District Axeman’s Club Facebook page.
