Job’s taken her to great heights

ON THE UP AND UP: Chrissy Spence scaling a 30-metre tree at Kaipaki yesterday. TC181108GJ01

BY GRANT JOHNSTON

Chrissy Spence admits that taking on a job that involved climbing tall trees was a giant step for someone petrified of heights. But the then 22-year-old rose to the challenge six years ago and she hasn’t looked back since.

Employer, Pete Johnson of Te Awamutu company Waikato Tree Services says ‘‘Chrissy’s got more guts than most guys’’.

The Courier caught up with her yesterday (well almost) when she was about 20 metres up a 30 metre tree at Kaipaki — working for her Te Awamutu employers limbing the tree, but also training for her appearance at the New Zealand Tree Climbing Championships in Hamilton this weekend.

Chrissy has made the title of national champion female her own for four of the last five years—the other year she was working overseas at the time. She has represented New Zealand at the last five world championships, finishing in the top three every time — two firsts, two seconds and a third.

Chrissy says it was her brotherin-law, who was an arborist at the time, who first challenged her to climb big trees. Her current employer says she has strength as well as courage— something she needs when she spends many hours some days suspended at great heights working with a chainsaw.

The champion climber ‘plays down’ her efforts, saying she’s always attached to ropes and always secure.

‘‘You’re always learning in this job,’’ she adds.

The NZ championships are on in Hamilton this Saturday and Sunday alongside the river, near Waikato Rowing Club.