Nothing stops the one armed man

Nothing stops the one armed man

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One armed woodchopper Nick Fredriksen competes at the Jarrahdale log chop. Photograph - Trish Ruul

The Serpentine Jarrahdale Lions Country Fair on October 1 and 2 saw a crowd of more than 10,000 people with one of the main attractions being the Jarrahdale log chop.

Nick Fredriksen, known as the one armed woodchopper, travelled from Brisbane to take part.

Mr Fredriksen said it was his first time wood chopping in Jarrahdale but he has been competing since he was 10 years old.

“My father was a woodchopper so it was a way of life when I was growing up,” he said.

“I still love competing.”

Mr Fredriksen lost his left arm when at the age of eight when his shirt got caught on a power take shaft and dragged his arm through it but he does not let his missing limb stop him from competing.

“I didn’t win at Jarrahdale but I won the 275mm underhand, four man relay with Bruce Winkel, Josh Adamson and Mitch Argent and the double handed sawing handicap with Mike Osborne at the Perth show,” he said.

“I hope to be back in Perth in December.”

SJ Lions Country Fair coordinator Sandra Hansen said the Lions have been running the event for over 10 years.

“Each year there seems to be more and more people attending,” she said.

“It is a community fair and we try to get the locals involved.

“When you look at the crowd watching the wood chopping the rows were at least 10 feet deep in parts.”

Mrs Hansen thanked the volunteer bush fire brigade groups for making the event run smoothly.

She also thanked Alcoa WA Mining who supported the Jarrahdale log chop and the fair.

Beth Butler community relations for Alcoa WA Mining said the Lions club put in an enormous amount of effort to bring the event to the community and attracting visitors.

“We are pleased to have been able to support them again this year.” she said.