At just 10 years of age, Glenmore Park schoolboy Jackson O’Mara is already making a name for himself in the world of competitive woodchopping, following in his family’s footsteps.

The talented youngster started woodchopping with his father at 2 years of age, before taking up the sport competitively when he was 6.

Woodchopping runs in the family, with Jackson’s great uncle John Startin a champion woodchopper. His father Luke O’Mara and grandfather Stephen O’Mara are still woodchoppers.

Since competing, Jackson has travelled all over the state and as far away as Queensland.

“Jackson has already competed in many shows. There’s the Hawkesbury Show, Penrith Show, Luddenham Show, St Ives Show, Bathurst Show, and the Jamison Hotel Australia Day Woodchop. He has also competed in interstate shows such as the Caboolture Show, Redcliffe Show and the Kilcoy Show. These are just to name a few” explained Rachael O’Mara, Jackson’s mother.

Because of his age, the only event that he can compete in is the ‘underhand’. This is where the log sits in a cradle, they stand on the log and swing the axe from above the head into the log between their legs.
Jackson has already begun training for the Sydney Royal Easter Show and his goal is to compete there in 2023 at the age of 12.

“He enjoys the crowd cheering him on and the people he gets to meet at each show, along with the woodchopping community that he gets to catch up with. Jackson suffers from ADHD and ODD, so he likes that there is something that he is in total control of and gets a lot of self-accomplishment after finishing each log” ended Rachael.