Blond hair tied back in a high ponytail - hatchet in hand - Maddy Mathe confidently faces a wood block target.
Earlier, she watered down the wood, explaining how it helps with axe throwing.
Adorned in the black and white stripes of an official, she fires off throw after throw, sinking the axe into the wood, stepping up to purposefully pull it from the splintered target, and heading back to that line to throw again.
Some land closer to the bullseye than others.
All make her smile.
鈥淚 really like just the feeling of throwing and letting go 鈥� you throw all your power into it and go and see where it lands,鈥� she says.
At 10, Maddy is the youngest in her Victoria axe-throwing league 鈥� the oldest in the diverse group is 72.
She discovered axe throwing while kicking around downtown with dad Brian Mathe on their customary date night just over a year ago. They spotted a sign for Axe and Grind and popped in. That night, the Victoria youth was issued a plastic axe for her first session.
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鈥淲hen I threw it, it felt nice, if you鈥檙e angry you can throw all that into the axe鈥� Maddy says.
When dad and daughter returned a few weeks later, coach Ragnar Olafson offered her a suitably sized real axe instead. 鈥淚 think she pretty much fell in love,鈥� he says.
Maddy and Brian joined the league and now it鈥檚 part of their routine.
Olafson credits her dedication and focus to some impressive improvements. In her first season, Maddy had 100 drops, well over 30 per cent, and her high score was a 20. So far this season, her second, she鈥檚 had 20 drops and her high score is 45.
Her first season, she sat at 19th position of 19 players and now she鈥檚 14th of 25.
While she鈥檚 the only kid among them, she鈥檚 treated with the same respect as any athlete in the league 鈥� Olafson wouldn鈥檛 tolerate anything else.
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With urban axe throwing starting to see some growth, Olafson wouldn鈥檛 mind seeing a youth league in Victoria.
鈥淚f you want to get good and be a world champion by the time you鈥檙e 18, now鈥檚 the time to start,鈥� he says.
Maddy highly recommends the sport. 鈥淚鈥檝e made good friends here,鈥� she says, everyone is kind.
Maddy and her dad credit Olafson as a mentor and leader for her growth in the sport.鈥淲ithout him I wouldn鈥檛 have done it. He鈥檚 funny too,鈥� Maddy says.
He also encouraged her interest in judging. She studied and studied and failed the first test.
Maddy buckled down and tested again.
She learned she鈥檇 achieved certification while at Axe and Grind, on National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
She was 9, and Olafson is confident she鈥檚 among the youngest officials in the World Axe Throwing League.
Having since turned 10, she鈥檚 looking at her next hurdle 鈥� knives.
鈥淚t鈥檚 harder,鈥� Maddy admits. 鈥淜nives are really light and you stand very close when you throw them.鈥�
christine.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca
christine.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca
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