Female Timbersports athlete hopes to inspire

Rachel Ferrington said competing at the World Timbersports Championships was "pinch yourself stuff"

A world record-breaking athlete says she hopes to inspire others after becoming the first woman to compete for Team GB in the World Timbersports Championships.

Rachel Ferrington from Hay-on-Wye, Herefordshire, was not only the lone female competitor in her team but also the entire competition, which was held in Milan last weekend.

Ms Ferrington and teammates managed to reach the quarter finals, which also saw her become the first ever female competitor to reach that stage of the contest.

"It's pinch yourself stuff really and if I can inspire someone else to have a go that would be great," she said.

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

In June she recorded the record in the stock saw event, cutting two wooden "cookies" in just 8.82 seconds.

Ms Ferrington said: "As I say, three years ago I didn't even know this sport existed so to be in a world championship for something and to have a world record I just can't quite get my head around it."

Ms Ferrington and Team GB reached the quarter-finals of the world championships

The sportswoman also praised the sport for its inclusivity and said those at the event recognised she was there on merit.

"I had lots of really positive commentary," she said.

"I don't get to hear it as I'm on stage and being in Italy most of the onstage talk was in Italian but everyone told me the commentary they were doing for me was really, really positive."

She added: "I had several people approach me and tell me that they thought I'd done really well and came to say hello - people I'd never met before - so that was really nice.

"And what's good is everyone appreciates that I was there in my own right because I have a world record so I was just treated as an equal competitor, which is what you want."