The 800-kilometre drive from far northern NSW to Sydney may take in some of the best spots on the state’s coast but for Brunswick Heads Public School Assistant Principal and champion woodchopper Madeleine Kirwan-Edwards, there’s no time for sightseeing.

After wrapping up her lessons last Friday afternoon, Ms Kirwan-Edwards made the nine-hour trek to The Royal Easter Show, where she’d compete in a range of events including the single-saw world championship.

“Straight down after school and into competition the next day,” she said.

“At least I was lucky enough to get a 10am start for competition on the Saturday!”

Dramatic dead heat

In one of the most dramatic contests at the Show Ms Kirwan-Edwards was today in a dead heat for third place in the Jack and Jill Sawing Championship, against her coach and her son, Jillian and Jack Stratton.

In a first for the Sydney Royal Easter Show, a ‘saw off’ was held for third, which Ms Kirwan-Edwards and partner Noel Marsh lost by 1/100th of a second.

Earlier this week she placed sixth in the woodchopping underhand world title held at the Show and third in the Jill and Jill Sawing Championship, where two women compete together.

“It certainly was a bittersweet moment to wrap up the show in a ‘saw off’ and it was even more challenging because it was against my coach and her son,” Ms Kirwan-Edwards said.

“Noel and I took a risk to use a different saw and try a different approach and today it just didn’t pay off.

“While we didn’t get the position we wanted, it was a great race and the crowd loved it.”

Juggling teaching, woodchopping and sawing is a lifestyle Ms Kirwan-Edwards is getting used to after taking up the sport six years ago, following a long stretch of watching her dad help out at events.

“I was always pestering him to have a go,” she said.

“He wasn’t too thrilled with me having a saw, but he eventually caved in.”

Onwards and upwards

Ms Kirwan-Edwards is now a regular on the Queensland woodchopping and sawing circuit, often driving four hours after work on a Friday to be ready for competition, as well as travelling around the rest of the country and New Zealand for various tournaments.

Last year she debuted for the Australian team, who beat their Kiwi opponents 3-0 in a series in Adelaide.

She is thankful for the support she gets from Brunswick Heads Public School.

“There’s a lot of early morning training. I got out and cut a couple of wheels before work and maybe sneak off in the afternoon and cut a few more,” she said.

“During term two writing reports and training is probably the most challenging time of the year because it’s our peak season of competition.

“I get a few comments in the staff room around week nine or 10 – am I still hanging in there, or do I need a red slushie.”

“But, yes I am really lucky to have such a supportive work family and a principal, who’s just, well, they’re all my number one champions.”

In a jammed schedule, the single-saw world championship is one of the blue riband events at The Show and brings competitors from around the world to compete.

After qualifying for the final from second in her heat, Kirwan-Edwards faced a fierce battle in the decider, won by Queenslander Jody Beutel.

The minor placings couldn’t have been more keenly contested, with Kirwan-Edwards finishing sixth.

“I think they said there was three hundredths of a second from second to sixth, so it’s a tight race,” she said, quietly wondering whether she chose the right saw for the final.

It’s something that her keen students from Brunswick Heads Public School are likely to weigh-in on given they regularly watch videos of her performances and don’t mind offering critiques.

“Like any six- and seven-year-olds, they are the most honest, so I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said with a laugh.