Nanaimo's Anita Jezowski competing in the Single Buck at the 2018 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Canadian Championship. (STIHL TIMBERSPORTS)

By Dan Marshall

A cut above

Nanaimo logger pro looks for second straight Canadian Championship

Jul 18, 2019 | 11:29 AM

NANAIMO – Anita Jezowski has competed in logger sports for more than 20 years and become one of Canada’s top performers.

Fresh off the heels of a competition in Powell River on July 13 and 14, the Nanaimo native is heading to Mississauga, Ontario for the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Canada Championship on July 27.

Jezowski is the defending Pro Women’s Canadian Champion in Mississauga for the single buck, underhand chop and stock saw disciplines.

She’s gotten used to the idea not everyone thinks it’s “ladylike” to compete in a male dominated sport.

It’s her belief she and the numerous other female competitors can be excellent role models for young girls when it comes to finding something to be passionate about.

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“When I first started there was hardly ever a ladies single buck or a ladies chop. There was one or two shows that might have had one. Now most shows have them,” Jezowski said.

“In Powell River there were as many female competitors as male competitors..that growth is amazing.”

Jezowski will compete in several Island, provincial and international competitions over the next few months. She’s a regular on the international circuit.

“It’s a great learning and life experience to go all over the world and compete in something I love to do.”

She got her start in logger sports in the mid-90’s, when she was approached by a friend about getting on a saw during a practice session.

“I ran over there between a volleyball game and a soccer game, jumped on a saw and had fun and met good people,” Jezowski remembered.

“The gentlemen that was coaching is still involved in the sport. No one else on the team is involved, but I’m still here having fun!”

Her career highlights including being named Canadian Logger Sports Association all-around ladies champion five times, representing Canada as part of a relay team three times in Sydney, Australia and winning the 2002 World Championship Single Buck in Washington.

To ensure she keeps competing at a high level Jezowski combines logger sport-specific training with more generic exercises. In the winter offseason she plays hockey and cross-fit trains. In the summer months she practices with different tools regularly.

“I’ll probably run the single buck saw a couple times a week and I’ll chop two or three nights a week,” Jezowski said. “Then I run the stock saw once every couple of weeks this time of year. It takes up a lot of wood so sourcing wood can be a bit of a challenge.”

An average week in season will include approximately four days of training.

dan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @danmarshall77