Power couple team up again for Sydney Royal Easter Show

After finishing fourth in last year’s Jack and Jill event at Sydney’s Royal Easter Show, wood chopping champions Laurence O’Toole and his American girlfriend Martha King know that they’ll have to saw hard and fast to win this challenging event this year.

“We know the competition will once again be tough to beat but we’re determined to come out on top and make up for last year’s performance,” O’Toole said.

O’Toole is a third generation woodchopper and practicing Arborist who has represented Australia internationally no less than 15 times.

He’s also been crowned Woodchop ‘Champion of Champions’ and at last year’s Royal Easter Show won the Hard Hitting competition and set a new world record for the event.

In addition to these achievements, O’Toole has also been a longstanding member of the Aussie ‘Chopperoos’ and has captained the team since 1914.

While King has only been a professional woodchopper since 2013 she has quickly put her stamp on the sport by winning the prestigious Lumberjack World Championship in Paris, France in 2016, two World Underhand Chop championships, and in December 2017 won the first ever women’s world championship to be held in Australia at the Devonport Sports Carnival.

“Winning this historical event was a huge honour and capped off a great year for me,” King said.

King was also a member of the Team USA that won the international wood chopping relay in Australia in 2015.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Jack and Jill team event, the contestants have to saw through a 375 millimetre log using a double handed crosscut saw specifically designed for racing and the first team to saw through their log is the winner.

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