Thames woman overcomes fear of using a chainsaw

Thames woman Sue Darwall, had to overcome her fear of using a chainsaw when she signed up for a horticulture certificate.

A keen gardener, Darwall, 61, completed the Level 2 Certificate in Horticulture at the Wintec campus in 2013.

Plenty of fieldwork, including sawing up fallen trees, helped Darwall overcome her fear.

“We had lots of hands-on experiences. We would go out on a fieldtrip for the day, and have to cut up trees that had fallen down.”

Darwall says she has a lot of respect for the chainsaw, and finds her new-found skills invaluable.

“We just cut a big tree down at the front of our place. Got all the gear, and cut out the branches that we could, and I cut them and hedged them at the bottom of our property. It’s been great.

“If I can do it, then anybody can do it. I’m 61 now, and ready to roll. You’re never ever too old to overcome fears, are you?”

However, Darwall does issue a caution to anyone new to using a chainsaw. “You have to think what you’re doing and never ever use it above your head. So you do have to be very careful with it.”