Meet Martha King-a world champion lumberjill

When you first meet Martha King, 'World Champion Lumberjill’ isn’t exactly what comes to mind. "A lot of people picture a big burly man with a beard", says King. Many people have heard of the term 'lumberjack’ and think about the childhood stories of Paul Bunion but not many people realize there’s an entire sport dedicated to the traditional practices of forestry.

Growing up in Chadds Ford, Pa King worked in her family’s tree servicing business and jokes that sawdust is in her blood. But it wasn’t until college where she discovered her love for the sport and followed in her father’s footsteps. "He graduated with a degree in forest science and competed on the Penn State woodsmen team", she says "I always found it fascinating and thought 'oh my gosh, this is my chance’".

King has since been competing professionally for the past 10 years taking home her third U.S. title at the Stihl Timbersports National Women’s Championships and won first place at the Timbersports International Women’s Cup in Vienna, Austria.

In a sport dominated by males, King is proud to set an example for young women who want to follow in her footsteps. Says King, "I don’t look like a lumberjack, but I’m really successful anything is possible if you are willing to be disciplined…don’t let anyone tell you you’re not good enough."

Check us out on:

Localish is all about bringing out the good in America’s cities. Our locally-sourced stories transcend city limits so you can live like a local wherever you go.

#Localish #GoodPeople #GoodNews

[KellyKasia]

The first time I saw Martha compete, I though exactly that. This poor young girl, she's going to get crushed. The other competitors are so much bigger than her. Then I watched her prove me wrong. Great technique, form, powerful strokes, she made it look easy. She walked away with the womens championship that day. I was lucky enough to see her again this year. She took home another trophy. I have to say, seeing this sport live, makes you become a fan. It really is a craft, and these competitors are masters at it.