This week the ‘talk in the trees’ series catches up with the reigning World Tree Climbing Champion, Chrissy Spence. Chrissy claimed the 2016 title with a stunning climb in San Antonio, Texas, in April of this year. A four time World Champion, Chrissy also held the title in 2005, 2007 and 2011.
1. I became an arborist because...
I suffer from ADHD. And this is a good way to control it.
2. My favourite tree is…
A mature Oak tree.
3. I won’t leave home without…
Car keys.
4. The perfect day at work would include…
Getting a cuppa tea and home made cookies for morning tea.
5. The worst part of my job is...
Having the customer tell me how to do my job!
6. The best slice of wisdom I can pass on is...
Listen to your gut instinct, most of the time its right.
7. If I could hang out in a tree with one person (past/present/living/dead), it would be…
This is a hard one. I have been lucky enough to go climbing with lots of cool people.
8. The one tree I’d like to climb is…
The big trees in the west coast of America
9. If I wasn’t an arborist I’d be a…
Jet boat driver.
10. True Tale or Tall Tale? Once upon a time I…
One day at work, I was on stop go duties. My 2 work mates were just cutting a small tree down on the side of the road and chipping everything. One of them had relieved himself at the front of the chipper where nobody could see him, which had left a puddle under the engine. Then he went back to the Foreman who was cutting trees down and tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the puddle under the engine. Because the engine had been running full for an hour and was still running loudly the Foreman went racing over to the chipper, went down on his knees and put his hand in the puddle to identify what liquid it could be that the chipper was losing. After a few sniffs he jumped up turned round to his work mate who was laughing hard out and in his anger the Foreman tried to tackle the worker to the ground…but he was way bigger.