Josephine Hedger climbs her way to European glory

SWAY resident Josephine Hedger has won her fifth tree climbing European championship title in Putbus, Germany.

Hedger, who is a three-time world champion at the sport, came first in the work climb, aerial rescue and the master’s climb final to take the overall win with 179.7 points from Germany's Eva-Maria Mauz.

She works in the New Forest area with her company Arborventure which combines local arborist services and a training school. Hedger is also an ambassador for the chainsaw manufacturer Husqvarna, helping with development of equipment and trade show demonstrations.

Hedger was delighted with her recent victory over strong competition: “The European competition is one of my favourites to attend because of the atmosphere and people involved. The level is very high at this competition, so I have had to continue to learn and train hard to achieve this title. I am proud to represent the UK and Ireland, and look forward to representing Europe at the International Tree Climbing Competition.”

She will now look to continue her success with a win at the world championships in Tennessee, USA later this year.